Movie: The Godfather Series

Well then.  What is there to say about a series that has been hailed as legendary since before I was born.  There really isn't anything more I can add to the heaps of critical analysis and praise this series has received over the years, but I am going to talk about it anyway.  I had never seen The Godfather movies until just recently.  I have always admired De Nero and Pacino's work, so it is a little ironic I haven't seen these movies until now.  I finally got the urge to sit down and watch them.  Man, are they long.  They certainly evoke an epic aura of classic from start to finish.

Unless you have purposefully avoided classic crime movies, or the length of them has daunted you, you probably have seen these movies already.  If you haven't, I recommend you give them a try.  In The Godfather, the story follows the Sicilian Corleone family.  Don Corleone is the tired old Godfather who, like the other members of the great five families, is essentially is large and in charge.  He has a host of sons, one of which is Al Pacino.  Through a series of events, Italian opera music is played and dramatic scenes of disrespect and vengeance are rolled out.

The Godfather Part II is more of the same, only better.  It focuses on Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) once more, as well as a flashback younger version of Don Vito Corleone (Robert De Nero), which serves as background story on how the Don climbed his way to the top.  This movie was around 4 hours long and extremely well done.
The Godfather Part III has been held as the weakest of the films in the series. Without spoiling much, it revolves around a more tired, depressed, but wiser Michael Corleone.  In it, the older Michael wishes to expunge himself from all ties to crime and go a more legitimate route, while his other business partners want to maintain the way things have been.  While I agree that it is the weakest of the films, being that a lot of the key players from the earlier films are no longer involved, it is still a very well done film and worthy of The Godfather name.



Overall this is a great series from the past.  There is a reason why they are considered classics.  In an age before fancy special effects were largely incorporated, a special tale of blunt realism and well crafted dialogue was put forth. If you ever find yourself yearning for the best mafia flicks, or haven't seen them in a while, give this series a viewing.  You may like it now that you've grown a little more.  Now shut up, kiss the hand and pay the Don a little respect.