An offer I CAN refuse.

Rating: 5/10 (5 June 2017)

** Spoiler Alert **
Considering this movie's reputation, I went in with lowered expectations with the intent of giving it a fair shot as a stand- alone movie. It still disappointed.
Though I generally agree with many of the points made in other reviews -- poor casting, convoluted or non-relevant plot lines, etc -- its biggest flaw lies in its predictability. The moment Michael Corleone declares "I would burn in hell to keep you safe" to his daughter (which happens quite early on), I knew how it was going to end. This filled the rest of an already bloated film with the wrong kind of dread, exposing each emotionally manipulative scene to ill effect. Also, an abundance of unconvincing or even unnecessary "hits" in the movie is more exhausting than anything else, and robs the climactic, drawn out scene at the opera house of any emotional impact that might have remained. Lastly, the final scene of Michael's pitiful death years later as an old man, alone and unloved, unfortunately serves as a symbol of the movie itself rather than the character.