Perhaps it's like Marmite?

Rating: 9/10 (4 September 2006)

I've just re-watched Part III after having read some of the reviews on this site that trash it. Obviously, everyone's opinion of a film is shaped by their expectations, their preferences and probably a million other things but I think expectations are what ruin this film for a lot of people.
For me it's an incredibly powerful, tense and moving film of a different genre to the first two. If you come to this film expecting more of the same from the first film and classic mafia violence and plotting then yes, you'll be very disappointed. For me this film is about the consequences of the actions we take and the unavoidable paths we take through life. Michael feels that he cannot ever convert to the legitimate life and yet we see his son, who is so much like him make the conscious decisions that take him away from it all. He constantly questions why he can never escape his past but what it comes down to is the fact that he just can't let it go and forever feels he must live up to the reputation (of which he's constantly reminded) of his father.
The end is incredibly sad when we see Michael as a broken man, all of the women in his life that he truly loved lost to him or and yet Vincent is there, ready to take up where he has left off and make all of the same mistakes all over again.
Not only that but the tension in the film is incredible. How can people say they got bored?!! But I guess it's not the same tension you feel in the first two films and if you're not into looking for the deeper meaning behind the consequences of living your life as a wealthy gangster who profits from crime and violence then it probably is dull. Mind you, I defy anyone to find the opera scenes boring - I've never been so much on the edge of my seat at a film! And I've definitely never cried so much at the end of a film ever!!! An excellent ending to the trilogy and in my opinion, far better then the second film.