Directed by:
Francis Ford CoppolaCinematography:
Gordon WillisComposer:
Nino RotaCast:
Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G. D. Spradlin, Richard Bright (more)VOD (3)
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This brilliant companion piece to the original The Godfather continues the saga of two generations of successive power within the Corleone family. Coppola tells two stories in Part II: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito, played with uncanny ability by Robert De Niro, and the ascension of Michael (Al Pacino) as the new Don. Reassembling many of the talents who helped make The Godfather, Coppola has produced a movie of staggering magnitude and vision, and undeniably the best sequel ever made. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (12)
The Godfather II left me with negative impressions the first time I watched it and I left the screen with a feeling of emptiness. However, as you can see in the current rating, the second screening, as usual, has changed everything diametrically and I have to write a new review. Not that I really have to, but this film deserves it. Part II is like a trophy for genre lovers that we can walk around and look at every day without ever getting get tired of it. Just watching the way Al Pacino gracefully and nonchalantly performs and talks his way around, while at the same time removing inconvenient relatives without so much as a blink, is an experience in itself, and under the baton of the virtuoso Coppola, who was obviously born for this franchise and who takes his talents here to such heights that it’s simply unimaginable if you haven't seen The Godfather before. Brilliant, truly brilliant direction that maintains a perfect mafia atmosphere (I don't know how better to describe it) for the entire three hours, always mixed with the dazzling aura of Pacino's unreadable, cold-hearted but also loving personality. Only a small group of elite actors can give such a performance, and Pacino is clearly one of them. Like the first one, this is a film that was ahead of its time and that showed me the precision that the symbiosis between a great script and top-notch direction can reach. And the final scene with the look inside the eyes of the defeated winner gave me such a chill, it was like I ended up with a bullet in my head too. Bravo!
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Rarely does the sequel succeed as perfectly as the original film, but with the second Godfather it almost did. We build on the life of Michael Corleone, who has become the new godfather, head of the family business, and we follow the complications his life brings. Al Pacino's excellent performance, which is even better than in the first movie, is a breathtaking spectacle. In parallel with Mike's story, however, we also follow the rise of his father, Vito Corleone (the only part that draws on Puzo's original book),his arrival in America, and the acquisition of much-valued respect. Robert De Niro is excellent as the young Vito and almost equals Pacino. An excellent sequel that exceeded my original expectations. The last scene of the film is completely disarming, and watching it kind of made me saddened for all those who were already... dead.
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You will probably consider me a heretic, an artistic buffoon, or an uncomprehending viewer, but I simply cannot give The Godfather II a full score. I thought the first one was better by that one star, mainly because of Marlon Brando's involvement. Al Pacino is great, but as the Godfather, Brando just suited me better. Maybe that's also why I liked the casting of Robert De Niro as Vito Corleone, who was the number one actor for me in this installment. Otherwise, the direction is great and the music is very nice. In short, a legendary film that, despite all the ovations, awards and reviews, did not force me to give it the highest rating.
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More elaborate, expensive, and monumental than the first film, but I can’t say which of them is of higher quality. In this second episode I somewhat miss the meaning of the retrospective part, where we follow a young Vito Corleone masterfully played by Robert De Niro. Of course, for the clarification and detailed description of the history of the Corleone family, it is good, but due to these inserts, the runtime is gigantic, and if we also add some less exciting passages depicting the present, the length of the film might be problematic for some viewers. Nevertheless, The Godfather II is more than a great film that describes relationships and business practices of mafia families in the 1940s and 1950s with incredible precision. Coppola did an outstanding job once again.
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Coppola made a lot of money with the first part, and it shows in the second part. A sweeping production design, hundreds and hundreds of extras, but somewhere the emotions have disappeared. Especially in the first half, the storyline with Michael Corleone is rather uninteresting. On the other hand, the memories of Vito Corleone are impressive; it is a pleasure to watch the then little-known De Niro. All my qualms were put to rest with the final act and the emotionally tense ending. The last shot of Michael Corleone's face is unforgettable, a man burdened by a heavy conscience, with wrinkles under his eyes and greying hair, a man who has gained power but lost love.
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