The Godfather Part II is one of those rare sequels that is regarded by many to be as good as, if not better than, the original. I'm guessing that much of its popularity lies in the fact that it is not just a sequel, following Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he continues to expand his family's 'business', but also a prequel, charting Vito Corleone's life from a child in Sicily at the turn of the 20th century to powerful New York mafia don. Two films for the price of one!
Unfortunately, as far as I'm concerned, only half of this 'double-bill' is really worth the time and effort. The flashbacks are great, with Robert De Niro superb as the young adult Vito, rising from shop assistant to mob boss; these parts reminded me of the excellent Once Upon A Time In America, which also charted the early lives of young gangsters (and which also starred De Niro). In contrast, the scenes featuring Michael's continuing underworld activities in the '50s are far too convoluted and slow for their own good, making keeping up with the Corleones more of a chore than a pleasure.
8/10 for the flashbacks; 4/10 for the rest. That's a disappointing average of 6/10.
Unfortunately, as far as I'm concerned, only half of this 'double-bill' is really worth the time and effort. The flashbacks are great, with Robert De Niro superb as the young adult Vito, rising from shop assistant to mob boss; these parts reminded me of the excellent Once Upon A Time In America, which also charted the early lives of young gangsters (and which also starred De Niro). In contrast, the scenes featuring Michael's continuing underworld activities in the '50s are far too convoluted and slow for their own good, making keeping up with the Corleones more of a chore than a pleasure.
8/10 for the flashbacks; 4/10 for the rest. That's a disappointing average of 6/10.