The Godfather: Part II

"This is the business we chose." The second part of the brilliant adaptation of an unforgettable book. Taking over the baton from Brando is the duo of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, who are absolutely incredible. No need to add more. Simply one of the best and most essential films of world cinema. (15/01/2007)

I consider it one of the best film sequels ever. The film is pure perfection. Robert De Niro was born for the role of young Vito Corleone, and Al Pacino’s expressions were so cold at times that I considered turning the heat up. The running time was over three hours, and even though it wasn’t full of frantic action, I couldn't tear myself away from the screen. A great film. (17/07/2017)

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. (07/10/2006)

I won’t claim that The Godfather II being my 1000th review was a coincidence. It wasn’t, I intentionally saved this anticipated movie experience for this very festive moment. It wasn’t worth much, though. I don’t know whether it was because of the excessive expectations, but the film never managed to pull me into the story, and I also tended to fall asleep due to the incredible runtime. The direction and the performances are flawless, but if Coppola were to film a three-hour long, very faithful adaptation of a parliamentary session with Al Pacino and De Niro, it would also get five stars, right? The sixth place in the top feels very exaggerated to me. (14/12/2008)

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. (25/04/2004)