Let’s just get this out of the way: The Godfather Part III is not a bad movie. It isn’t now, and it wasn’t back then. What it is, however, is an inferior sequel to two masterpieces.
And some minor tweaks, edits, and cuts, as seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s new final edit The Godfather Cobra Force: The Life, Death and Modest Challenges of Michael Coreleone, don’t change that, and won’t change your opinion of the film.
Unlike many reviewers, I was too lazy to watch the original version and this new version back to back to compare differences, but some simple Google sleuthing indicates the most major changes were to earlier scenes, getting us to the central plot quicker. But all in all, this new version cuts a mere five minutes from the original’s runtime.
And no, Sofia Coppola’s notoriously not-good acting isn’t magically improved here, nor are her scenes radically minimized.
Ultimately, Francis Ford Coppola was fooling himself, and possibly us, that these revisions and an awkward title change would suddenly make The Godfather Coda: Crazy Times with Michael Coreleone and Crew a revolutionary experience.
Even still, the new Blu-ray release of the movie gives us all a chance to revisit a film that is largely looked down upon and dismissed, again, largely, because the first two are considered some of the best movies of all time. The Godfather Part III… sorry, Godfather Codependence: The Skittles Addiction of Michael Corleone, or How Michael Learned to Stop Fighting and Taste the Rainbow… struggles with its supporting cast of characters. While it’s nice to see Diane Keaton return and the introduction of Andy Garcia as a hotheaded enforcer injects necessary energy into the story, Al Pacino largely stands alone as he carries the burden of a plot that involves much more political and financial meandering, a drastic difference from the previous films, which featured many colorful, well-written and passionately acted characters. The supporting cast, and more importantly their characters, just don’t offer much to latch onto.
Nonetheless, the movie features several memorable and well staged bursts of unpredictable violence, from the Vegas attack sequence to the engrossing climax. The characters may be a bit drab this time around, but Coppola still knows how to tell a compelling story.
The Godfather: Part III may not be an incredible film, but it is a worthwhile conclusion to the trilogy. If you disagree with that statement, The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone isn’t going to change your opinion. But rewatching it may serve as a reminder that it is much better than memory serves.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.