Is The Godfather III as bad as everyone says?

[LostInAnomie]

I've been watching Part one and two today and I'm curious about the third. If it sucks I don't want to watch it, so that it doesn't taint the other two in my mind.

[leeroysphitz]

1. It has it's problems and her initials are SOPHIA COPPOLA but it provides more closure

than the BSG finale did. On the whole if you can steel yourself for Sophia's um "performance" then you ought to see it. I's not quite as bad as the hype.

[Blue_Tires]

5. true, but *SPOILER*

but seeing her meet her end is one of the more satisfying deaths in all cinema

[flvegan]

2. It's horrible, IMO.

[DeepBlueC]

3. no

it's watchable

[Redbear]

4. Its only horrible in comparison to the first two.

III is pretty much like a typical sequel. Not very good. However, you watch it anyway because you want to see how the story moves along. The story elements in III are not bad. It's the acting (and to me Andy Garcia is much worse than Sofia) and the side stories that really stink.

[Richard Steele]

12. Yup. The bar was raised so high that no "Part III" could clear it.

If they had made those films in reverse order,
Part 3 would have been a decent & profitable film,
and by the time they got to Part 1, it would have
been hailed as a cinematic masterpiece.

Oh wait- it WAS.

If you have an act that's 12 hours long, you probably
shouldn't open it with a real "Show Stopper".

[yellowdogintexas]

41. I was just going to say that. I and II are two of the greatest movies ever made

III is just a slightly above average mob family movie.

[AlCzervik]

6. yes.

i pretend it never happened, just like Caddyshack 2.

[no name no slogan]

7. It's WORSE.

I was forced to watch it on a flight from Minneapolis to London once, as it was the only film shown. Even though I cut the sound halfway through it, I could not avoid its odor. Avoid at all costs.

[MrSlayer]

14. +1

Horrible, horrible film.

[edbermac]

8. Not as good as 1 and 2, but pretty interesting.

4 stars for 1 and 2, but only 3 for this. As far as Sophia Coppola, she was asked by her father to replace Winona Ryder after she dropped out at the last second, so I fault him for casting her
more than I fault her for her acting. Thematically she was all wrong to begin with, he should have cast someone else.

But I liked Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, and Talia Shire. The storyline involving international banking and the Vatican, and Pacino's guilt over killing Fredo were
quite good.

[pinniped]

9. It was awful and it should have been pulled from the theater at the time.

It became pretty apparent someone skipped her acting lessons.

They should sell the complete Godfather saga DVD set minus this one.

[Danger Mouse]

10. Yes. Don't bother with it.

[madrchsod]

11. by the end of the movie you`ll realize....

you will never ever get those precious minutes of your life back

[Lil Missy]

13. If you have seen I and II, you should see Part III. It's not that bad.

Parts I and II were so good they were impossible to beat.

[carlyhippy]

15. it's o.k. I guess, but nothing beats Godfather one!!!

one of the best movies ever

[Orrex]

16. No, just like the first one isn't as great as everyone says

Cue the brute-squad in three... two...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

18. You don't think it's great?

No kidding.

Do you think II is better than I?

Or do you just not like I?

I'm really curious. No fight about it, honestly. I just love it so much, I want to see it through your eyes.

I'm Italian. I could be biased..................

[Orrex]

19. Honestly, I don't dislike it

It just doesn't knock my socks off. I've never been especially interested in the whole Mafioso mystique, so maybe that's part of it.

I can certainly see it as a very well-made film with solid performances throughout, and I recognize its place in movie-history as the first film to really paint such characters as human and sympathetic.

But it just doesn't thrill me.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

20. I get that .....

As a character study - just watching Michael go from college boy to Don - it's wonderful, extraordinary.

And the story is fun, the cinematography spectacular. The supporting roles were pretty good, too.

I can understand that the glamorization of thugs like the mobsters in the movie doesn't entertain a lot of people. I grew up with the real thing, and, believe me, none talked like that or carried themselves like anything but the bullies and monsters that they were. I saw the fear they engendered, and the much-ballyhooed "respect" so often mentioned was never anything but flat-out terror.

Puzo never knew a Mafioso; he just made up the way they talked, the whole schtick. From that, the real thugs took on the pretense, which was funny.

Thanks for explaining.

:toast:

[Orrex]

21. You're right about Michael

And of course you can't not like Brando in the role. I don't even mind the glamorization of thugs, because that can definitely work as a story-driver.


We had "the real thing" where I grew up. It was the worst-kept secret in that very small town, and they didn't talk anything like movie gangsters, either, so I know what you mean about that!

:toast:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

22. Mine was a very small town, too,

and every few years, always in the summer, there would be a great big party attended by all the Italian families - mine included - for one of the guys who was "going back to the Old Country for a long visit." The parties were great, and I have very fond memories of them.

It wasn't until I grew up that I figured out they were going-away parties for guys going to jail...................

:hi:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

17. Gotta love AMC

I watched both movies yesterday and today. And we have the DVDs. I am pathetic.

But, if you've not seen III, yes, you should. It sucks, but there are moments. Pacino is brilliant, but I hated seeing him as an old man. Sofia Coppola is dreadful and George Hamilton is frightening.

The ending, though, is pretty good, but I'm an opera fan.

See it. If you hate it, you'll be credentialized to trash it. Can't do it unless you see it.

In fact, I'll probably watch it again in the next few weeks, just out curiosity - maybe it's not that bad?

[Zavulon]

42. With the exception of the "opera fan" remark, I could have written every word of TL's post.

To the OP: if you've seen the first two, see the third. It doesn't compare to the first two, but what closure you get makes the movie worth watching. It's not nearly as wretched as some say.

[mykpart]

23. I can't say - I've never been able to sit thru the whole thing!

[cemaphonic]

24. I wouldn't say it is quite so bad as to taint the first two.

It's just kinda by-the-numbers and not all that compelling, and yeah, Sophia is pretty weak.

If you wanna watch a gangster movie from 1990, Goodfellas and Miller's Crossing are the way to go.

[Lethe]

25. not terrible, but not great - at least we get to see Michael reflecting on his past

we get to witness Michael's contrition for killing Fredo

[Kat45]

26. Nope.

It's not great but it's not horrible either. I think that if you saw the first two, it's good to see the third to see what happens to the family and how the story ends.

[Downtown Hound]

27. I never thought so

It's definitely inferior to the first two but I thought it was still a good movie. Michael is older in it and has mellowed out quite a bit, and is looking for redemption for all of his past crimes. That redemption is not easy in coming.

[LSdemocrat]

28. No, it's just a good, not great, movie that lacks the retro look and feel of the previous two movies

[Shell Beau]

29. I personally didn't think it was needed.

[Giant Robot]

30. It depends

Did you like Highlander 2: The Quickening?

If yes, then Godfather 3 will probably be a good movie to you.

[LynneSin]

31. It was actually a good movie when Sophie Coppola wasn't in the scene *spoilers*

She was just beyond horrible. One of the worst castings out there. Sophia Coppola can't act worth a shit but it seems she does have a knack for directing (Lost in Translation, Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette were all great movies).

The plotline was good with Michael wanting to find a sucessor after his eldest son rejected the life (he was an opera singer instead). They made great connection by bringing in Sonny's illegitimate son thru Lucy Mancini (the bridesmaid from the first Godfather) and the part was well done by Andy Garcia.

But there was just this uber creep factor that they were playing up a romance between Sonny Manici (eventually he took the name Corleone) and Mary Corleone. Technically they were first cousins but they never met until the beginning of the movie. But it made it even creepier by the horrible acting of Ms. Coppola.

But how bad was Sophia Coppola - when she was killed at the end of the movie the crowds at the movie theater would break out in applause. Hell I went opening weekend and we all stood and applauded. And this was not the role of some evil villian you were glad to see die. We just all felt it was a fitting death for such a retched performance.

[jakefrep]

32. No. I don't think so.

It's not nearly as good as the first two, but it's by no means horrible.

[LanternWaste]

33. On its own, it's a pretty good film...

On its own, it's a pretty good film... good pacing, good character development, excellent tie-in between two disparate plots. Andy Garcia did well with his one-on-one scenes with Pacino and held his own. I guess I'm in the minority ion thinking that Sofia did an adequate job. :shrug:



That being said, it's simply not on the same plane as numbers one and two. While watching number three certainly won't detract anything from the first two, I imagine that halfway through number three you'll wind up wondering what happened to the real Coppola.

The very last scene of number three is very poignant, though.

[mitchum]

38. That last scene is indeed poignant...

another poignant scene is earlier when Michael leans toward Kay with an old familiar intimacy, catches himself and withdraws. It is heartbreaking.
Pacino is so good when he's not doing that whole Pacino yelling shtick.

[jobycom]

34. Almost nothing is as bad as everyone says. Except the Republican Party. nt

[applegrove]

35. SC was the wrong choice for a lead. She just gets in the way of the narrative.

[mitchum]

36. It is wretched; the little Italian princess acts as well as she writes and directs

[lunatica]

37. I liked it

It ends the story of Michael Corleone in keeping with the general theme with so many of the original characters having aged. And it's a beautiful movie to look at. The cinematography is stunning. I never had a problem with Coppola at all.

But I'm the kind of person who truly appreciates separate things about movies without having to like absolutely everything. I really like visually artistic work. So when it's done well then I don't mind sitting through an otherwise not so great movie. That's why I really like 300. It's just a visual work of art and makes the movie worth watching.

[Scout]

39. yes, but Andy Garcia is well worth it n/t

[SCantiGOP]

40. I wouldn't watch it

It would be like having a wonderful dinner, then for part 2 having a delicious dessert. You would want to keep that good taste in your mouth and not end with a bowl of broccoli.