like the Star Wars prequels, this film is marked by some as a 'never should have been made'. I wouldn't agree with that

Rating: 9/10 (17 September 2004)

In giving a wrap-up, a conclusion to two of the most powerful crime and family stories to come out of the seventies, Francis Ford Coppola took a risk that many feel didn't pay off. I almost wish I didn't know what criticisms people had before viewing it again recently (I had seen the film when I was in my early teens, but forgot most of it). Some of them, such as the mis-casting of Sofia Coppola, the long, drawn-out scenes, the heavy-handed dialog, are not entirely un-founded. And I would agree that this is my least favorite of the trilogy. But I do not feel that it is a failure, or a mis-calculation by Coppola and co-author Mario Puzo.
In fact, right from the get-go and throughout the film, I was very intrigued by the direction of the story that was being taken, as well as with the characters. At the core, Coppola cares deeply about the Corleone family, in particular Michael (Al Pacino, his most infamous crime performance alongside Tony Montana), despite the sins that have been committed. It's a tale of redemption, of loss, and of what matters in a life dominated by greed and corruption in the legitimate as well as illegitimate places. Coppola understands this world, or at least the dynamics of it, and that's what makes Godfather 3 at the least a fascinating character study.
Not to mention, much of the assembled cast (with the loss of Robert Duvall being the only set-back) is still highly dependable- Pacino is great at being tragic, and his subtleties in some scenes rank with his best work (one scene that stuck with me was his confession to the priest about Fredo). Keaton, for her scenes, is alright considering her dialog. Andy Garcia makes an impression fast in one of his early performances. Eli Wallach is an interesting choice for the Don (once again, like with Tuco, an effective take on a clichéd character). And Sofia Coppola, while understandably forced in some of her emotions (or, indeed, under-cooked), is not as bad as some have made her out to be. After all, she is supposed to be just a regular girl, not within the overly dramatic landscape of the criminals and politicians.
And the story, which follows Michael's chances at achieving legitimacy at the turn of the end of the seventies while his nephew tries to find the line of a "good" made guy, keeps a viewer on edge with the style too. To put it as such, Gordon Willis keeps a consistency with his masterful work in the first two films (at least, all three in the trilogies are masterpieces of lighting and compositions, and Willis was reportedly more responsible for the look of the films than Coppola, who focused on the actors and theatrics). And such a wonderful, operatic music score by Carmine Coppola is a fitting swan song, if missing the Nina Rota touch. For me, The Godfather: part 3 (a.k.a. The Death of Michael Corleone, Coppola's original title) is only a disappointment in how there isn't (arguably) the level of ambition in regards to the others. And the violent content, although original in its tactics, may not pack the wallop one might expect. But as a film by itself, this is a drama of considerable merit, and wouldn't spoil the flow if watched right after the first two in one sitting.