Review: The Godfather: Part III (1990)

'Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in.'

★★★

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone.

The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, are considered the best of the 1970s, the best Mafia/Crime/Gangster films, and some of the greatest films of all time. Francis Ford Coppola, with author of the book, Mario Puzo, were able to adapt the book into two amazing films. Why? Well, first, it had a great script, perfect casting, brilliant directing from Francis Ford Coppola, excellent writing, a good plot, and many other factors. "Part II," took what the first film did well, and told both a sequel and prequel story, something that had never been done before, resulting in "Part II" being one of the greatest sequels ever made. "Part III," on the other hand wasn't as highly regarded as the first two. Many considering it the worst sequel ever made, others calling it a disgrace to the first two, etc. I don't personally think that. I do find it the weakest out of the three, but underrated.

"The Godfather: Part III" (1990) follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he attempts to legalize the Corleone family company and preserve his legacy. Now older and filled with remorse for his past actions, Michael seeks redemption by investing in the Vatican Bank and forming friendships with powerful persons. However, he is drawn back into the world of organized crime, dealing with betrayal and a determined assassin targeting his family. Meanwhile, his nephew, Vincent Mancini (Andy Garcia), becomes entangled in the family's power struggles and assumes a larger position. As Michael attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter, Mary Corleone (Sofia Coppola), he faces catastrophic results that highlight the implications of his choices. The film also features Connie Corleone (Talia Shire) and Kay Adams (Diane Keaton) as pivotal figures in Michael's journey.

There are a lot of problems with this film. The pacing is very slow, there are too many scenes that I felt like should've been cut down, and some of these actors look very bored in their parts. I don't think Sofia Coppola was bad, her character should've been written better. Robert Duvall was approached to reprise his role as Tom Hegan, but turned it down because he felt that this third film was a cheap cash grab. I have some feeling that if he did return, the film might've been better, as his character was an important member in the Corleone family.

I cannot put the full blame on Coppola, Puzo, or any of the actors, as the studio, Paramount, was heavily involved and interfered with so many decisions, which resulted in the film's poor reception. The studio wanted a more commercial film, which led to creative disagreements between Paramount and Francis Ford Coppola. Paramount also imposed a tight deadline and limited budget, which further constrained Coppola's vision. This further proves the point how it isn't always ideal to have studio interference whenever you're making a movie or video game.

Overall, this film, "The Godfather: Part III" is considered the weakest out of the three for the reasons I mentioned about, however, there is still a lot to admire in this movie, despite it not being as good as the first two.