ALTHOUGH IT HAD A LOT TO LIVE UP TO.....

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2001)

....I have just finished watching the final chapter in my favorite film trilogy of all time. The Godfather. After watching the first two films, and bathing in there brilliance, I read some very negative comments on The Godfather P:III. These were mainly in the shape of Sophia Coppola's bad acting, but to be honest, I found her acting to be realistic and convincing. The plot of the third film centers around the aging Michael Corleone and his attempts to legitimise his bussiness and find a successor to his empire. This successor comes in the from of Vincent Mancini (Lucy Mancini's and Sonny Corleone's son) portrayed wonderfully by Andy Garcia. But Vincents violent ways of doing things soon pull Michael back into the dark and violent world of the mafia.
This film is a brilliant conclusion to an epic saga. Puzo's and Coppola's script holds the viewer for all 163 minutes. The acting, like all Godfather films, is top notch. Especially Al Pacino, who should have won an oscar for his preformance. It's also nice to see old faces such as Kay, Johnny Fontain, Connie and Al Neary. All though the film is long, you really don't notice it at all, and I thought that the film could have been twice as long. I read elsewhere on the site from a comment that said 'This would be a good staging for The Godfather P:IV, with Vincent running things, while further developing the relationships between Michael, his wife and their son'. But I veiwed the special directors cut version, and from the ending I saw, how could this be possible?
With incredible directing, brilliant acting and an unforgettable ending, The Godfather P:III, all though not a good as its predecesors, is a marvellous film, which beautifully ends an epic saga and is an absolute must for all Godfather and Al Pacino fans alike.
My Rating: 8/10