Having recently seen The Godfather on the big screen I was thankful for the chance to see the extraordinary second part of this story in the cinema as well. It’s often said The Godfather Part II is an example of a film where the sequel was better than the original but, the story is a little more complex than that, since The Godfather Part II is really a sequel and a prequel, rounding out the telling of Mario Puzo’s original novel.
Where The Godfather traced the transfer of power from Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) to his son Michael (Al Pacino), The Godfather Part II continues to tell the story of Michael’s leadership of the family and also takes us back to Vito’s childhood in Sicily and shows us how he entered a life of crime on the streets of New York, with a young and svelte Robert De Niro giving a career defining performance.
Every bit as epic, grand, confident and operatic as the first film, The Godfather Part II is an amazing cinematic experience. Everything about this film is masterfully crafted and the lead performances are as good as any you will ever see in this kind of film. Brilliant, amazing and thoroughly deserving of a repeat theatrical viewing.
