Works very well on its own, but...

Rating: 9/10 (14 September 2018)

As many other people have mentioned, the 3rd part of the Godfather saga falls short in comparison to what it follows, but as the concluding chapter, it does fairly well. The worst thing about it is that it feels rushed. It lacks the extremely meticulous workmanship of Coppola in the first two chapters.
Money was a big issue during production (in Hollywood, when isn't it?) which ended in Robert Duvall not being in part 3. His replacement, George Hamilton (not the same character, of course) does a good job, but his role is rather limited here. Apparently, an even bigger issue was time, which may be why the film feels rushed in certain aspects.
The plot involves Michael Corleone in his 60s, trying to completely legitimize his work and retire. Problem is, he doesn't have anyone to pass on the torch. His son isn't the least bit interested in following his footsteps, but his nephew, Sonny's son (who has the same anger issues as his father) catches his attention. He also has to deal with the corrupt Vatican businessmen who, at the last minute, backtrack from their mega business deal.
The usual elements of the Godfather saga are all here: Masterful visuals, costumes and sets, a grand opening scene of celebration, a great score, and wonderful performances by all the cast... well, almost all the cast. And no, my issue is not with Sophia Coppola, who accepted and performed her role under pressure. She does what she can. No, my issue is with Andy Garcia'a character, Vince. Or rather, the way the character is written: He is like a poor caricature of an Italian mob guy. Did they think making him angry and yelling all the time would resemble Sonny? He looks like he was transferred from the set of another film. There is no way Michael Corleone would pass on his empire to this kind of guy. Not because he's a hothead, but because he lacks any kind of brains and judgment.
The centerpiece is once again Al Pacino, who masterfully portrays an old man slowly beginning to crush under the weight of his past. The supporting cast is equally great: Eli Wallach is chillingly scary behind his sweet old man exterior, and Talia Shire (who plays a very different Conny), Joe Mantegna, Diane Keaton, Richard Bright, Don Novello and Enzo Robutti all give wonderful performances. The great Raf Vallone's role is small but memorable, as always.
If only the studio heads had given enough time to work on the story and the script, and a few bucks to retain the original cast, this would've been a much more memorable film. As it is, it stands on its own very well. But if you watch the three movies back to back, this is the one that sticks out like a sore thumb (mainly because of the love story between Michael's daughter and Vince, which bogs down the story, and the haphazard way the Vince character is written). It's still a good movie, but not great like its predecessors. Although quite clearly, it could've been.