A very good end to one of the best trilogies of them all.

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2013)

Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy is one of the most beloved trilogies of all time. Well, at least two-thirds of it is. Most love the first two, and granted, they are works of art. But it's the third one that has many split. I have read that some people have tried to forget about it all together. I will admit that it has its fair share of flaws. But I definitely won't forget about it.
The Godfather Part III takes place some time after its predecessor. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is still stuck in the life that he never wanted. But now, the past has sort of caught up with him. He's tired of the business, and it's time for a change. Change appears in the form of Vincent (Andy Garcia), Michael's nephew (the bastard son of his brother, Sonny). Vincent is a confident and angry young man, and he seems perfect for the job. But problems arise when Vincent begins dating Michael's daughter, Mary (Sofia Coppola). Yes, kissing cousins.
There is a side-story involving the pope or something, and I don't quite understand the story there. But there is another side-story involving Michael's son Anthony not wanting to take over the family business. Instead, Anthony wants to be an Opera singer, which sort of ties in with the climax of the film. Diane Keaton is wonderful as Michael's ex-wife Kay, and Talia Shire finally gets to do something as Michael's sister Connie.
It is nice to see some of these characters again, but yet, something doesn't quite feel the same with The Godfather Part III. Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) is m.i.a. (he is actually dead in the movie, but the character's replacement doesn't get to do anything). The acting isn't quite the same either. With the exception of Keaton and Garcia (who was nominated for an Oscar), nobody seems to be doing their best. Everyone (besides Coppola, will get to that in a second) is good, but they are not up to the standards that they once reached.
My favorite scenes are the ones between Michael and Kay. I think that those are really nice, especially since Michael is trying to turn over a new leaf in this one. Also, there wasn't really a second where I was bored throughout. Also, it does tie the series together nicely. Yes, of course it's too long. It's as if it was FFC's goal for the whole trilogy to make each of them long. He nailed it.
Now, to the real flaws. Again, I don't quite understand the plot with the pope and stuff. But what really makes The Godfather Part III suffer is Sofia Coppola. Now, I'm sure that by now, this is probably what stirred up the most buzz about this movie, and you've probably heard about it anyway. Francis Ford Coppola directed a film called Tucker: A Man and His Dream. It was a box office flop, and so he was told that he had to make a commercial hit to make his production company, "American Zoetrope". So, he was forced to make a movie he never dreamed of: The Godfather Part III.
Winona Ryder was initially cast in the role of Mary Corleone, but was forced to drop out at the last second. He was sort of running out of time, so he had confidence that his daughter could do the role. Well, she did the role, and it won her two Razzies. Now, here's what's wrong with casting her: For one thing, she isn't an actress. The only movies that were on her resume prior to TG3 was FFC's movies, and they were cameos. But what doesn't help about her lack of experience though is the fact that the character is just annoying. Mary is sort of slutty, naive, and, well, she's supposed to be smart but actually she just comes across as dumb and sort of desperate.
Another thing that bothers me about The Godfather Part III is the fact that Mary and her cousin are dating, and nobody really seems to care. I was expecting Michael to freak out and sort of try and murder Vincent, and it doesn't happen. Instead, he calmly tells Vincent to end it. It just shouldn't have gone down like that. I know that if I was Mary's father I would slap her like Cher did in Moonstruck and tell her to snap out of it.
In the end, The Godfather Part III was nominated for 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, and supporting actor. So, who had the last laugh, TG3 haters? But, that said, it did go home empty handed, and it was the only one in the series not to win Best Picture. Also, despite all of the negative publicity, Sofia Coppola eventually won an Oscar for writing 2003's Lost in Translation. Who really had the last laugh? She sure couldn't act, but at least she found her niche.
The Godfather Part III may have been better had Coppola spent more time on it. But I am still happy for what it is. I still think, all flaws aside, that it really is a good movie. With more time, he may have reached potential. Instead, we have a flawed, but very good, movie with great moments. It was nice to see the family in business again. It isn't as good as the first two, but really, what were you expecting? This is a very good conclusion to one of the best trilogies of them all.
A-