Always in the shadow of the first two Films

Rating: 7/10 (16 April 2005)

Powerful performances across the whole cast cannot light up a film that will always be in the shadow of the previous two Godfather movies. You cannot watch this film without comparing to the previous two, and when the previous work is to such a high standard, the task set by the film makers in attempting a third film is just too great.
The storytelling and script offer nothing new, and just re-tread old ground as we build to the conclusion on the steps of the Opera House.
Al Pacino and Diane Keaton are especially good in their roles as ageing husband and wife caught between each other and events of the world around them. Andy Garcia also weighs in with a substantial performance as the son of Sonny Corleone.
But ultimately the cast are let down by a disappointing story line that just meanders lamely around, trying too hard to evoke the tension of the first two films whilst ultimately ending as more of a pastiche. Considering the fact that this was made 16 years after the 2nd film, director Francis Ford Coppalo and co-writer Mario Puzu have just had too long to think about it, and should have left the original two films to stand alone.