Review of The Godfather Part II (1974) by Alexander S — 14 Apr 2014

Since I watched the first Godfather, it's like an obligation to watch Part II. A lot of people like to argue about which one is better, so I have to say that I'm pretty much in the middle leaning more towards Part II, which most people aren't. I like this one just a little better because the pacing in this one is much better and I like the presentation they have on this one better.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about The Godfather: Part II. This time around, the story is a little bit different. The story is about how Michael Corleone is trying to expand the family business in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Havana, Cuba while it's also telling the backstory of Don Vito Corleone before he was a Don. The story is a rise and fall story... Sort of. While Vito Corleone is becoming somewhat famous in New York, his son, Michael Corleone, is ascending deeply and his family is falling apart. Honestly, I feel like I liked Vito's story more than I liked Michael's only because it's more entertaining watching Vito be successful. The score for this movie, composed by Nino Rota,is still amazing with that main theme song stuck in your head for the next few days. The acting is still amazing, but sadly, this movie has no Marlon Brando or James Caan, but we now have the great addition of Robert De Niro which the series needed. De Niro's version of Vito Corleone isn't as good as Brando's role as the older Vito, but he's close. That's pretty much all I have to say...