The Godfather: Part III

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. (03/12/2012)

Finally, I have also reached the third part of this trilogy, which I have constantly postponed due to its incredible length. It is finally behind me, but I am quite disappointed with the last installment. It feels like the aging of Don Vito Corleone portrayed by Marlon Brando is repeating itself, only now with a fairly charismatic and also brilliantly disturbed Al Pacino. Additionally, there are quite similar scenes to the first film here, so at times it seems that the whole material is just recycled. I am not disappointed, I'm just not as captivated by the film as I was by the previous two. (04/28/2014)

"Real power can't be given. It must be taken." Is returning to the subject matter sixteen years later just flogging a dead horse? No, not at all. Although The Godfather III can’t equal its predecessors, it is still so much better than most other movie productions that it is impossible to give it less than a full set of stars. And the closing half hour is the best passage of the entire trilogy. A marvelous (and again unforgettable) ending to this family saga. (01/15/2007)

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. (07/19/2017)

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. (05/10/2004)