So here we are at the Godfather part 2. Although an amazing movie, it cannot compare to the Godfather 1. My thoughts below:

To refresh your memory the beginning of the Godfather 2 starts when they have successfully moved the family business to Nevada and Michael is in control of a few casinos and hotels. This signifies mediocre business. Yes Michael Corleone is a very powerful man like Don Vito was, but these are the ending years. You can’t kill someone and get away with it like you used to. Their status is being questioned and we have a very pesky senator that wants nothing more than to bring the Corleone family down.

The Godfather one was the Hay day of what the mafia stands for. Doing business and competing with four other families for that business. When Don Vito is still around he has connections with people of importance. After his death Michael will have to make his own connections. The Godfather way of life ends at the end of the Godfather one. Beginning in the Godfather 2 everything is modernized. Its not the same. It has the big city business to it. The small family help that Don Vito built his empire on is out. Now casinos and big money are in play. What a shame.

The communion of Anthony in one of the opening scenes was a good take to the Godfather 1 (Connie’s Wedding), but the wedding scene was still better.

Flashbacks: Throughout the movie we revisit the past and see how Don Vito has come into power. The young Vito is played by Robert Di Nero (excellent cast again by the way) and how he began from nothing, coming to America to escape death and building an entire empire from scratch. I won’t lie, when his reputation starts preceding him and he is helping the needy showing his Godfather status, I am reminded of Burn Notice and how similar it is.

Now this picture on my left, is the flashback when Don Vito has his first kill, Fannuci, as he decides that this man will not get the best of him and take his well stolen money.

During these flashbacks, which are very enjoyable we get to see the young Clemenza whom I really like. I also am made aware of how faithful Clemenza has been to Don Corleone, starting his career out as the Godfather and even being loyal to Michael and his orders. The funny thing is that in every scene Clemenza has food in his hand. This kind of reminds me of Brad Pitt in Ocean’s 11 and 12. Always eating.

The flashbacks are a big reason why this sequel turned out so good.

Fredo plays a bigger role in this movie, although it is a bad role in and of itself. This is why the Godfather 2 does not compare. In the Godfather 1 everything was dealt with to the families best interests. If a family member messes up, you patch it up and you move on. In the Godfather 2 the family roles still apply but there just aren’t the family members to implement them. Don Corleone is dead, Sonny was killed as well as Carlo Rizzi. This now makes animosity between Connie and Michael and since Michael is in power he now has to turn to Fredo for assistance. Seriously, who would want to do that?

It isn’t long before Fredo decides that he isn’t getting enough of the action and he wants to make himself better off. This leads to him betraying Michael and allowing an assassination attempt to be made. Now Michael will not rest until he knows who was behind the attempt on his life and the danger that has just barely alluded his wife and children. He’s on a rampage and leaves the house looking for answers.

It isn’t long before Fredo slips up and after admitting that he has never met or been with Johnny Ola before he makes a statement to a group of people that Johnny Ola is the man who introduced him to these live sex shows. He has just made himself a marked man..

Michael then performs the kiss of death on him. And just when you think that Michael has forgiven Fredo for his heinous acts against the Corleone family, he turns again and has him murdered out on the lake.

Connie all of the sudden decides that she’s done being a whore and running around from country to country. She decides to forgive Michael for the death of her husband, and come back for her and Michael’s children. Wow. How motherly. She also admits that her reasoning for doing all these things was out of her hate for Michael and she just wanted to piss him off. So she wanted to be a whore to piss off her brother. See how the traditions of family have been forgotten. The unity is just not there. Totally the reason why the Godfather 1 is that much better.

This is one of the reasons why this movie doesn’t measure up. Kay’s confession that she had an abortion to kill their baby boy because of her hate for Michael. ARE YOU SERIOUS? How could she do something like that. Kill her child because she doesn’t like her husband anymore. F you. That was your baby and even if it was made with someone who you have come to despise you have no right to end his life. No right. She went about everything all wrong like every pathetic female in every pathetic female role. There would be no way in hell that she would ever come away with the children if something went bad, which it did. You need to learn how to beat the system. Michael has a lot of power, you have to go above and beyond that. She could have had the child and then when the time was right left and gone into hiding. She is forever a complete dumbass idiot. I can’t believe what her character did.

At the end of this movie, the God father’s three enemies are killed simultaneously. Hyman Roth is killed in customs at the airport, Frankie Pentangelli takes his own life by slitting his wrists, and Al Neri kills Fredo. The blood bath is once again complete and more people have been killed.

I also wanted to bring up the trials that they are putting Michael through. With my new interest in the court systems, I find this committee that has assembled to try and incriminate the Corleone family and make them confess to all of the murders well done. Everything was by the books, Michael gives his own personal speech playing on his time in the Military and his loyalty to his country. He makes the committee seem like a laughing stock in true Godfather style. ha.

The final scene, which is the best scene in this movie, is the flash back to when all of the children Sonny, Fredo, Tom. Michael, and Connie are getting ready to surprise Don Vito on his Birthday. The cake that has been brought in is huge and they are all sitting around laughing. Sonny introduces Connie to Carlo Rizzi and they start talking. Michael upsets them suddenly with news that he has joined the military and he is going to fight. Everyone is outraged except for Fredo, the only one to offer acceptance and congratulations. Then all feelings are suppressed when the door bell rings and Don Vito has arrived. They all get up to go surprise him except for Michael who is still sitting at the table, smoking a cigarette, and pondering his life. Right then we realize how much he did not want to become the Godfather and how inevitable it would be. Then the scene fades out and the movie ends. My favorite Flash back in this movie.

Also remember quickly, Don Vito’s revenge on Don Cicco. He killed his father, his brother, and his mother. Years later when Don Cicco is old and can barely hear, Don Vito goes back to Sicily and gets his final revenge on this mad, cutting him from the bottom of the stomach up. Awesome.

THE GODFATHER vs. THE GODFATHER 2 Part 1