Why is "The Godfather Part III" considered bad?

[Ragehead91]

Please, someone explain that to me! After 2 or 3 years I digged out my Godfather I-III DVD Set and watched every movie last week. Accepted opinion is that Part III is the worst of the 3 and Parts I and II are the best. And I couldn't disagree more. While Part I still being the best for me, I just LOVE part III and in my opinion it is WAY better than Part II. I love the story of Michael Corleone trying to get away from all the Mafia buisiness that made him big and the way he basicly tries to right all the wrongs of his past life with doing charity and all of this and the way he realizes that he can't get away from it. That there is no salvation for him and that his past always will catch up on him. I loved the story, I loved all the actors, I ADORE the ending and I really don't think that Sofia Coppola's acting was THAT bad. Of course you could've hired a actor with experience, but I think she just fit perfectly into the concept. Especially after listening to the audio commentary of Francis Ford Coppola himself. The Godfather Part II just bored me. I know it is highly acclaimed, but I don't understand why. I know, the acting was good and the part where you see Young Vito Corleone and the way he became the Godfather were good, but apart from that it really did nothing for me. So please tell me, why is part 3 considered a bad movie?

[Mormegil]

Fuck you, Part II is absolutely the greatest!

It's been a while since I saw the third one, so it's hard for me to go into details. I remember thinking that it was just a pointless rehash, with average story and all the old characters just seemed to have lost that something that made them so memorable (most noticable in the romance between Kay and Michael). Also the fact that Coppola only made it to pay his debts seems a little bit too obvious for me.

Sofia Coppola was rather underwhelming in my opinion, but to be fair, her dad only cast her because Winona Ryder dropped out at the last minute (or something like that). I also found the lack of Robert Duvall disturbing. Tom Hagen has always been my favourite character of the films.

I don't think it's a bad movie by a long shot. It's just "good" and that's not nearly enough when you have to compete with two of cinemas most acclaimed masterpieces.

[Ragehead91]

I couldn't disagree more. How was this a re-hash? The plot was great and it was a worthy ending to the saga! It wasn't pointless at all!

I think the way they handled the romance between Kay and Michael was great! It fit their situation perfectly and I think there wasn't a better way they could've handeled it. Especially the ending was a fucking strote of genious. I even cried a few tears when Michaels daugher was shot and he and his wife had their mental breakedown.

I didn't miss Duvall at all. Granted, Hagen was a great charakter, but I really didn't miss him at all. It didn't hurt the movie for me.

For me it is a thousend times better than this so called "masterpiece" that "The Godfather Part II" is supposed to be.

[Mormegil]

For me it is a thousend times better than this so called "masterpiece" that "The Godfather Part II" is supposed to be.

Blasphemy!

"Oh, Michael. Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. An abortion, Michael. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Something that's unholy and evil. I didn't want your son, Michael! I wouldn't bring another one of you sons into this world! It was an abortion, Michael! It was a son Michael! A son! And I had it killed because this must all end!"

For me this line and the following look on Michael's face alone was twice as great and memorable as all of Part III.

I even cried a few tears when Michaels daugher was shot and he and his wife had their mental breakedown.

"Fredo, you're nothing to me now. You're not a brother, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you at the hotels, I don't want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand?"

I think this scene had the same effect on me. So very brutal.

Hard to say what exactly is the biggest reason why the third one just doesn't do it for me (and many others it seems). It's all matter of opinion of course, but while parts I & II (latter one in particular) completely suck me in and make me forget I'm even watching a movie, the third one just kinda bores me.


Edit: I should've waited 'till the morning before I answered this topic. I could write so much more thorough and sensible posts praising the effects these films have had on my life if I wasn't so tired out of my mind right now. :S

[Rebel]

Best analogy I've heard
"It's like an 11-5 regular season in the NFL with an exit in the Conference Championship on the heels of two 16-0 Super Bowl winning seasons"

[Ragehead91]

For me it is a thousend times better than this so called "masterpiece" that "The Godfather Part II" is supposed to be.

Blasphemy!

"Oh, Michael. Michael, you are blind. It wasn't a miscarriage. It was an abortion. An abortion, Michael. Just like our marriage is an abortion. Something that's unholy and evil. I didn't want your son, Michael! I wouldn't bring another one of you sons into this world! It was an abortion, Michael! It was a son Michael! A son! And I had it killed because this must all end!"

For me this line and the following look on Michael's face alone was twice as great and memorable as all of Part III.

I even cried a few tears when Michaels daugher was shot and he and his wife had their mental breakedown.

"Fredo, you're nothing to me now. You're not a brother, you're not a friend. I don't want to know you or what you do. I don't want to see you at the hotels, I don't want you near my house. When you see our mother, I want to know a day in advance, so I won't be there. You understand?"

I think this scene had the same effect on me. So very brutal.

Hard to say what exactly is the biggest reason why the third one just doesn't do it for me (and many others it seems). It's all matter of opinion of course, but while parts I & II (latter one in particular) completely suck me in and make me forget I'm even watching a movie, the third one just kinda bores me.


Edit: I should've waited 'till the morning before I answered this topic. I could write so much more thorough and sensible posts praising the effects these films have had on my life if I wasn't so tired out of my mind right now. :S

Sorry, but all the sences you mentioned had no impact at all on me. Maybe the scene with Kay did but I like the way they handeled the relationship in part 3 ten times better. Especially the ending. Same with the Fredo scene. I don't like Fredo in general. He should not have been a main charakter. In generall you can quote every scene from part 2 you want, it still doesn't change my opinion. When I finished Part 1 I was like "This is awesome! I can't wait to see more of this!" When I finished Part 2 I was like "Really? This is supposed to be the best of the series? This is all they had to offer? This really won 6 Academy Awards?" And then when I finished Part 3 I was like "Damn it, this should've won the 6 academy awards!" Part II is overated and Part III is better. At least for me. The only 2 things I liked about Part II were the scenes involving young Vito Corleone and the way Kay and Michael broke apart. I couldn't care less about the rest. Hyman Roth, Fredo Corleone, Pet Geary, Frankie Pentangeli and the rest. The plot about Roth and Cuba just really bored me. Cut that crap out and give me more of younn Vito. They should've made that movie a prequel.

[NeonVomit]

They're all good. I like the first most though.

[browneyedgirl]

A great trilogy! I liked all three, too. But, the first (imo)was the best. Now I want to watch them all again!