Better than part II, though never as part I

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2007)

Having slept the way through watching "The Godfather" part II, I saw part III, expecting it to be as boring and heavy. However, I was better satisfied. However, there were still many flaws I encountered while watching that made me think of it as lesser than the original. The story isn't bad. It has a better setting and is simpler to follow. However, the dialogs were what failed. They just sounded too false, too rehearsed. Although it still has the quotable potential like in the original, there are some lines that sound a little out of place. Michael Corleone's character finally redeems himself, now acting as Don Vito would. He's likable and lukewarm, although with a dark past, but still, noble with people. I was at first puzzled with Vincent's presence in the story. Now, real "Godfather" fans might know that Lucy Mancini never bore a baby with Sonny in the novel, and so Vincent shouldn't even exist. When the story came along together, he grew on me. Yet, I thought his romance with Mary was useless and not very realistic. Joey Zasa was a great character. He should have had more development and not just put as a traitor and have him whacked. I actually felt sympathetic for him. This was one of the reasons I disliked Vincent at the beginning. Connie was what I hated the most from the whole story. Women weren't supposed to tangle with the business in the Family. Puzo specifically explains this in his novel. I regret Tom Hagen's absence. He was the character that, although part of the Family, explained everything to you as a civilian and whom you could feel identified. He was my favorite.
Okay, after detailing what I hated, let's move on. Coppola's directing was great. He masterfully uses visual elements from the original and creates new ones that mesh together perfectly. The perfect example was the Archibishop's interview, identical to Bonasera's. The music was great, coming almost on its entirety from Nino Rota. Unlike part II, this one has the most action. There's shooting and blood in almost every scene. However, there was one thing I thought was the greatest mistake of them all. Corleone dies alone, with his daughter shot (something completely cruel and sad) and with no one else around him but a dog. This is not possible within the Mafia world. A Don never dies alone, nor in the streets. Yet, Al Pacino's performance was the best in the trilogy. The way he cries and screams after his daughter's death is so beautifully done, he makes the viewer cry with him, even though Mary wasn't a very appealing character.
So, I liked part III over II, yet, it not nearly as great as "The Godfather", which is, till this day, the best movie ever.