The Godfather: Part III

The third Godfather wasn’t as impressive as the first two. The heavy atmosphere was gone, Michael Corleone, now in his older age, gave the film a tired look. The film's extreme length felt overwhelming this time, the few bright moments got almost lost in it. A large part of the film bored me, and I was only pleased with the revelation that even mafia organizations are absolutely no match for the Vatican, and that Francis Ford Coppola understood exactly what kind of film he was making and made it a family business. (19/07/2017)

I was the most worried about the last Godfather. After all, continuing the story so many years later is unusual and raises some concerns. A huge time shift in the story, the ageing of the main characters, and so forth. However, my fears were unjustified because the script is tightened to the last detail and doesn't lose any of the atmosphere of the previous films, but it pushes the plot all the way to 1978. Al Pacino is brilliant again as Don Michael, and Andy Garcia is great in the supporting role. The breathtaking Corleone saga comes to an end, and all we have left are the memories. (08/10/2006)

I finally got to the third part of this trilogy, which I kept postponing due to its incredible length. But that's behind me now, and I'm quite disappointed with the last installment. It's like the aging of Don Vito Corleone portrayed by Marlon Brando, but now with a fairly charismatic and also wonderfully disturbed Al Pacino. There are also quite similar scenes to those in the first film, so at times, it seems recycled. I'm not disappointed, I just wasn't as captivated by the film as I was by the previous two. (28/04/2014)

The fourth star was squeezed out by the camera, because otherwise this family drama, which you can totally decode within an hour and you know exactly where it's going, has little to do with the mafia theme. Sadly, it's the takeover of the reins from the initially uncouth redneck Andy Garcia that makes it clear that the Corleone family corporation is effectively dead, because even distinguished behavior, an expensive jacket, and four liters of motor oil in his hair can't hide his true origins and violent nature. (12/03/2012)

For me personally, the best part of the trilogy. Coppola finally brought some dynamics and tension into it, which was missing for me in the first two parts. Bridget Fonda and especially Andy Garcia, who was rightfully nominated for an Oscar, also helped a lot. The ending was truly heart-stopping. (10/05/2004)