When Francis Ford Coppola adapted Mario Puzo’s masterpiece and came out with “The Godfather” in 1972, the acclaimed director successfully turned filmmaking on its head. That first Godfather movie essentially halved film history and marked the beginning of a new era of cinema. Two years later, “The Godfather Part II” was released, and it enjoyed as much critical praise as the first installment. Many film critics even consider the second film to be even better in many aspects than the first.
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But then came “The Godfather Part III.”
Over 15 years after the second film, Coppola directed the third and final part of the franchise. And though it’s been nominated for a few major awards, it’s received scathing reviews from fans and critics alike. Why is this? Why were people who loved the story so much were so antagonistic toward the last installment? Where did it go wrong?
The answer is not as simple as one might think. As a standalone film, it would’ve been pretty decent. But it was a Godfather movie, and though a lot of the original formulas were followed, as a whole, the film came up short. Al Pacino and the returning cast were amazing as always, but the newer characters left much to be desired. A lot of the scenes were overwrought, and the plot was predictable. Though it felt like a Godfather movie, some things were missing – things that people sorely missed.
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I'm Joe Cianciotto, an architect from San Francisco. I’m also a film buff and love talking about movies in general. For more articles on the movies I love, follow this Facebook page.
