There was no reason to make this movie

Rating: 3/10 (21 November 2007)

There was really no reason to make this movie. The Godfather parts I and II are classic films which hold up amazingly well to this very day, and are both excellent movies which are well executed and fun to watch. This movie is not.
The fact that it was made so long after the other two makes it seem like a cynical cash grab. The fact that it's also pretty boring and pointless also makes it seem like a cynical cash grab. In essence, this movie does a huge disservice to the first two by concluding the trilogy on such a lame note. In my opinion, the ending of part II was a fitting end to the saga and should have remained so.
The movie seems awfully contrived. The George Hamilton and Andy Garcia characters are probably the worst of the bunch. In fact, the Andy Garcia character alone ruins this movie for me. There's also the convoluted and ultimately pointless Vatican subplot...Suffice it to say that there are a lot of both stupid and pointless things about this movie.
The only moment in the film which has any dramatic weight at all is the confession scene between Michael Corleone and Cardinal Lamberto.
Basically, I like to pretend that this movie doesn't exist. I've watched it once and I can guarantee I won't be watching it again.