The Godfather: Part II

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)

This mafia opus confirms its quality in the second part as well. Although Al Pacino is not Marlon Brando, the whole story of one mob family is still absolutely incredible. The five-star rating is indisputable here. Where else will a director offer you a better insight into the life of mobsters than in this film? (04/12/2012)

"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)

The Godfather Part II is a cinematic masterpiece that extends the story of the Corleone family into the higher realms intertwined with politics and the even darker rules of mafia practices. Whereas the disintegration of the family as the only real value of the protagonists’ existence was hinted at in the first film, the second, longest part is entirely about it. One timeline – about the childhood and adolescence of the first film’s most magnetic character (Marlon Brando), played perfectly by Robert De Niro – depicts the core of Vito Corleone’s personality in his early days in New York, while the other timeline examines his more inconsistent and darker son Michael, who became the most powerful American mobster of his time. It is a great role for the charismatic, respect-inspiring Al Pacino, whose Michael is capable of anything. More characters, a more interesting revealing of the workings of the most powerful underworld and even more pronounced between-the-lines plot shifts come together to form a chilling mosaic of thought. With all due respect to Martin Scorsese, it’s a good thing Francis Coppola remained the director of the trilogy. His more poetic form of storytelling suits it perfectly. (05/06/2022)