not that bad...

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2007)

This is not a bad movie at all. But there are some glaring flaws. Sophia Coppola being the largest, who at the worst times comes off as flat and lost. The story itself meanders a bit, and doesn't really differentiate itself from the first two the way it should. Joey Zasa's character was humorously villainous. The helicopter scene was a poorly executed idea. Michael Corleone's character was muddled and i had a hard time connecting this Michael to the Michael in the first two. Robert Duvall's Tom Hagen was tragically absent. But Michael's character needed resolution, and that part was done well. It's hard to watch as Michael seeks forgiveness for the evil things he's done, and i applaud Coppola for going a different route with Michael. He could have just given what everyone expected, a Michael from part II, barely sane and zombified and still bent on wiping out his enemies. But he made Michael human again, and i appreciate what he tried to do. Andy Garcia really stole the show for me. His performance was more than worthy of an Oscar. He really saved the film in a lot of ways. Diane Keaton does great, as does Talia Shire. The climax of the film really moved me, despite Sophia's awful effort during the scene. Any fan of the first two should see this, it is a great film with equally great flaws. But sadly doesn't compare to the first two.