Review of The Godfather Part II (1974) by Riren — 05 Mar 2007
More brazenly violent, even in its opening, and more sensational in the nature of the mafia's corruption, but hardly a superior film to the original. Where the original had horrible and bloody events, they were earned - here, they just happen.
This one really is slow, and many times things just happen, rather than build on each other. Like any good sequel, it takes advantage of the existing plot, and most of the references and allusions are good.
The cast isn't quite up to the par set by the original, for while it has all of the menace, it possesses little of the charm, and no one provides a "Brando quality" performance. Even Hagen isn't quite what he used to be.
There's also no experience comparable to Pacino's character development in the first picture. It packs several very memorable moments, but it's not up to the task, and is too long to justify what it accomplishes.
This review of The Godfather Part II (1974) was written by Riren on 05 March 2007.
The Godfather Part II has generally received very positive reviews.
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