Godfather Part III

[John]

A few years ago I watched Godfather III. I must have forgotten how Godawful it is, because I’m watching it again. What a disaster of a movie. How could FFC have gone from the two classics of I and II and come up with this movie? How could Al Pacino have agreed to this script? Fool me once, shame on you – fool me twice, shame on me. A waste of my time.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

A few years ago I watched Godfather III. I must have forgotten how Godawful it is, because I’m watching it again. What a disaster of a movie. How could FFC have gone from the two classics of I and II and come up with this movie? How could Al Pacino have agreed to this script? Fool me once, shame on you – fool me twice, shame on me. A waste of my time.

This has become a very trendy opinion in the years since the movie was released. It was nominated for Best Picture, and Coppola was nominated for Director, so your assessment was not shared by many critics at the time.

Three of the best scenes in any of the Godfather movies are in III. The penthouse helicopter scene is awesome, as is the "just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in". The assassination of Joey Zaza was also well done. I also like when Connie orders the hit, and then later when she is confronted by Michael. In fact, pretty much any scene in which Sofia Coppola plays a minor or non-role is pretty good. The final scene in the opera is as good as the ending of any of the Godfather's.

The problem with the movie is Sofia Coppola. Winona Ryder was originally cast for the role, but had a nervous breakdown. Julia Roberts wanted the part but had already signed for Pretty Woman so she couldn't do both. Madonna desperately wanted the role and FFC thought she was too old. There is pretty much not a TV or movie actress of any importance that was between the ages of 17 and 30 in 1988 would not have been an enormous improvement over Sofia Coppola. SC was a total disaster in the role, and is why the movie has aged so poorly. I don't think Madonna is a good actress, but I think this movie would be considered in the pantheon of movies if Madonna had played Michael's daughter.

 

[Fishy]

The first two movies had some glaring weak spots as well.....most of them involving Talia Shire.

Sophia Coppola was a disaster - a lot of Andy Garcia was a disaster as well. The scene where the son sings is a little creepy, as well.

There's a very good movie in there somewhere, it just needed better casting and a tighter edit.

 

[G0UCONN]

I heard it sucked so didn't watch it for years.

Finally got around to it and while not a great movie---didn't think it was too bad, would say two and a half stars----likely because I went in with such low expectations...

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The first two movies had some glaring weak spots as well.....most of them involving Talia Shire.

Sophia Coppola was a disaster - a lot of Andy Garcia was a disaster as well. The scene where the son sings is a little creepy, as well.

There's a very good movie in there somewhere, it just needed better casting and a tighter edit.

Agree. I think the biggest problem with the first two movies is the source material in which every female character is either a nagging harpy (Kay), a whiny brat (Connie), one of the random slags that Sonny is banging, or an idolized epitome of virtue (Mama and Appalonia). Puzo wrote the Godfather to be horribly sexist and FFC actually tones it way down for the first two movies. By the end of the second movie, Kay actually becomes a semi-real person, whereas no such character exists in the book. One of the good parts about III is there is no source material to work with, so the women characters end up better written (if not necessarily better acted).

The other problem I have is the magical endings where Michael snaps his fingers and everyone disappears. The baptism scene is so cool because it is so coldblooded. It is also kind of idiotic. If it was this easy to kill Michael's enemies, why didn't he just do it earlier? And the way they kill Hyman Roth in II is so ridiculous it ruins what is otherwise almost a perfect film.

I liked Garcia in III. The scene where Zaza's men break into his apartment is awesome. Sending Bridget Fonda out was brilliant and captures the character perfectly. Lucchesi was a great adversary, as was the Cardinal and the Swiss banker guy. I actually thought, right up until the end, that Michael was going to lose.

It really comes down to Coppola. She had a squeaky whiny voice and kept flicking her hair. She also leaves her mouth half open in most of the reaction shots, which makes her just look like she is stupid. She can't cry. How did an actress that can't cry on command get a part in a movie like this? That is her job. I know I was not the only one in the theater that was relieved she was killed at the end and not Vincent or Michael. I can't believe I am saying this, but if it really came down to Sofia Coppola or Madonna to play the daughter, FFC should have picked Madonna. It probably would have been considered one of the best movies ever.

 

[Fishy]

The best thing you can say about Talia Shire is that this is not her worst scene...

 

[Fishy]

Because this is....



That is some of the worst acting ever. At the heart of the problem is that Coppola wanted to give parts to his sister and his daughter. T'was nepotism that killed the beast.

 

[4UConn]

I have mixed feelings about Godfather III and agree with Fishy's nepotism comment. It's a fairly good movie, but when compared to I and II it falls very short. My biggest problem with III is Al Pacino seems to have forgotten how to play Michael Corleone, at least the Michael we saw in I & II. The film also suggests the Vatican acts more like the Mafia than the Mafia, which may or may not be true, but I somewhat doubted the whole premise that the Corleone Family would have interest in acquiring an Italian telecommunications company. The last scene of an elder Michael dying alone I thought was very well done.

 

[John]

I have mixed feelings about Godfather III and agree with Fishy's nepotism comment. It's a fairly good movie, but when compared to I and II it falls very short. My biggest problem with III is Al Pacino seems to have forgotten how to play Michael Corleone, at least the Michael we saw in I & II. The film also suggests the Vatican acts more like the Mafia than the Mafia, which may or may not be true, but I somewhat doubted the whole premise that the Corleone Family would have interest in acquiring an Italian telecommunications company. The last scene of an elder Michael dying alone I thought was very well done.

Yes, there is something "off" about the way he plays Michael in III, but I can't put my finger on what that something is.

 

[4UConn]

Yes, there is something "off" about the way he plays Michael in III, but I can't put my finger on what that something is.

A hybrid of Tony Montana and Michael Corleone perhaps?

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Thought I read somewhere Rebecca Schaeffer was up for the Sophia Coppoloa role before she was murdered. The casting of George Hamilton as consigliere puzzled just as much. I dont think anything could have saved that movie.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Thought I read somewhere Rebecca Schaeffer was up for the Sophia Coppoloa role before she was murdered. The casting of George Hamilton as consigliere puzzled just as much. I dont think anything could have saved that movie.

Duvall asked for his quote and the studios were not prepared to pay it. I don't think the movie needed Tom Hagen, and Hamilton was fine for the reduced role.

Schaeffer was one of those looked at to play Michael's daughter.

I really liked the end of the movie. Michael admitted his guilt to the Cardinal, and then got punished in a way that was so visceral that you know the character wishes the bullet had hit him instead. Michael's confession to the Cardinal was great. In fact, thinking through the movie, I can not come up with a bad or awkward scene that didn't have Sofia Coppola as a central actor.

 

[Excalibur]

A hybrid of Tony Montana and Michael Corleone perhaps?

By the time of III, Pacino was often playing himself as opposed to any character. Still, I think he had a tough job in that movie. He's trying to play a character that isn't as cold and distant as his younger self. The problem is that his new personality is too natural.

 

[ZooCougar]

It's better than the average film, but I and II are in the stratosphere and are beyond outstanding.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Duvall asked for his quote and the studios were not prepared to pay it. I don't think the movie needed Tom Hagen, and Hamilton was fine for the reduced role.

The sight of Hamilton brought the film into Mommy Dearest territory.

 

[ZooCougar]

Duvall asked for his quote and the studios were not prepared to pay it. I don't think the movie needed Tom Hagen, and Hamilton was fine for the reduced role.

Schaeffer was one of those looked at to play Michael's daughter.

I really liked the end of the movie. Michael admitted his guilt to the Cardinal, and then got punished in a way that was so visceral that you know the character wishes the bullet had hit him instead. Michael's confession to the Cardinal was great. In fact, thinking through the movie, I can not come up with a bad or awkward scene that didn't have Sofia Coppola as a central actor.

I think Winona Ryder was in the running for Sophia's role. But I agree with everything you said. The last third of the movie is really compelling.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I am trying to come up with another example of a single casting decision taking down a whole movie like this, and I am stumped. I think Nicholas Cage is awful, but I can't think of an example where he took down a movie by himself. Talia Shire was bad in the Rocky's, but not bad enough to really impact the overall movies. Keanu Reaves is a robot, but he has been in good films. Coppola's performance in Godfather III belongs in the pantheon of terrible acting.

 

[ZooCougar]

I am trying to come up with another example of a single casting decision taking down a whole movie like this, and I am stumped. I think Nicholas Cage is awful, but I can't think of an example where he took down a movie by himself. Talia Shire was bad in the Rocky's, but not bad enough to really impact the overall movies. Keanu Reaves is a robot, but he has been in good films. Coppola's performance in Godfather III belongs in the pantheon of terrible acting.

Hayden Christianson ruined two Stars Wars movies. And Ben Affleck has already ruined the next Superman.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Hayden Christianson ruined two Stars Wars movies. And Ben Affleck has already ruined the next Superman.

Hayden Christiansen is a good call. Revenge of the Sith had the potential to be in the same class with Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back (I still think it was pretty good), but Christiansen blew it with the central character of the whole series.

 

[John]

I finally struck me - between her good-but-not-great looks and wooden delivery, Sophia Coppola reminds me of a p`orn actress who is doing the filler scenes to set up the action. She's that bad.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I finally struck me - between her good-but-not-great looks and wooden delivery, Sophia Coppola reminds me of a p`orn actress who is doing the filler scenes to set up the action. She's that bad.

That is all I will think about next time I see this movie.