It shouldn't have been titled 'Godfather'

Rating: 3/10 (3 January 2003)

Though the unbelievably bad Sofia Coppola received the bulk of the criticism, the main fault with this hugely disappointing epic is the plot. The concept of a known gangster being embraced by the Vatican just didn't seem plausible & the direction compared to the previous two instalments is lifeless and formulaic. Coppola states in the DVD commentary from the first movie, that it's strength came from the quality of the cast - not just the big names like Marlon Brando & James Caan, but also people like Abe Vigoda in smaller roles. In Godfather 3, that kind of ensemble performance is missing as the whole enterprise degenerates into a tacky star vehicle for Al Pacino & Andy Garcia. I personally thought Garcia was dreadful, but again it wasn't all his own fault. At the start of the movie he's an uncontrollable psycho who chomps off ears - a trait which he miraculously loses by the end of the movie. Bridget Fonda makes a fleeting appearance and one wonders why she could not have been cast in the role of Mary instead of Sofia Coppola. In terms of talent, Sofia is obviously the 'Fredo' of the family and Don Coppola should have made her an offer she couldn't refuse!. Even when levelled against other lesser films of this genre I feel Godfather 3 is a poor movie, but compared to the previous two it's an unforgivable disaster.