One Paragraph Movie Review: The Godfather Part II.

One hundred and eighty-sixth film: The Godfather Part II. A lot of people have mentioned to me that this movie represents a rare case where the sequel is better than the original, and I’m relieved to report that they’re wrong. Part II is good — the sets are good, the story is good, the cast is superb, the acting is incredible — but it’s like an overcooked main meal after an incredible entrée by the same chef. I loved the flashback origin story featuring young De Niro as Vito Corleone, partly because it’s a young De Niro. But while the first movie built and built and then went kablam, the second one gradually shows us what it’s like to watch a man slowly empty himself out. It’s the development of a crime family versus its transition to something less cohesive and comfortable. It’s less fun than the heads of a bunch of crime families all getting murdered at once and a horse head in a bed, is what it is. Two and three-quarter crooked senators out of five.