The Godfather: Part II

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. (04/25/2004)

"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. (01/15/2007)

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. (07/17/2017)

Coppola made a lot of money with the first part, and it shows in the second part. A sweeping production design, hundreds and hundreds of extras, but somewhere the emotions have disappeared. Especially in the first half, the storyline with Michael Corleone is rather uninteresting. On the other hand, the memories of Vito Corleone are impressive; it is a pleasure to watch the then little-known De Niro. All my qualms were put to rest with the final act and the emotionally tense ending. The last shot of Michael Corleone's face is unforgettable, a man burdened by a heavy conscience, with wrinkles under his eyes and greying hair, a man who has gained power but lost love. (10/19/2003)

The Godfather II left me with negative impressions the first time I watched it and I left the screen with a feeling of emptiness. However, as you can see in the current rating, the second screening, as usual, has changed everything diametrically and I have to write a new review. Not that I really have to, but this film deserves it. Part II is like a trophy for genre lovers that we can walk around and look at every day without ever getting get tired of it. Just watching the way Al Pacino gracefully and nonchalantly performs and talks his way around, while at the same time removing inconvenient relatives without so much as a blink, is an experience in itself, and under the baton of the virtuoso Coppola, who was obviously born for this franchise and who takes his talents here to such heights that it’s simply unimaginable if you haven't seen The Godfather before. Brilliant, truly brilliant direction that maintains a perfect mafia atmosphere (I don't know how better to describe it) for the entire three hours, always mixed with the dazzling aura of Pacino's unreadable, cold-hearted but also loving personality. Only a small group of elite actors can give such a performance, and Pacino is clearly one of them. Like the first one, this is a film that was ahead of its time and that showed me the precision that the symbiosis between a great script and top-notch direction can reach. And the final scene with the look inside the eyes of the defeated winner gave me such a chill, it was like I ended up with a bullet in my head too. Bravo! (08/18/2012)