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Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, John Cazale ... see more see more... , Lee Strasberg , Talia Shire , Danny Aiello , John Aprea , Carmen Argenziano , Oreste Baldini , Kathleen Beller , Richard Bright , Carmine Caridi , Dominic Chianese , Vincent Coppola , Mario Cotone , Tom Dahlgren , Francesca De Sapio , Troy Donahue , Peter Donat , Michael Vincente Gazzo , Marianna Hill , Morgana King , Bruno Kirby , Gastone Moschin , Ignazio Pappalardo , Tom Rosqui , Gianni Russo , Fay Spain , Joe Spinell , Harry Dean Stanton , Herkulis E. Strolia , Amerigo Tot , Leopoldo Trieste , Abe Vigoda , Erica Yohn , William Bowers , James Caan , Roman Coppola , Sofia Coppola , Roger Corman , Phil Feldman , G.D. Spradlin , Joseph Della Sorte , Richard Watson , Maria Carta , Nick Discenza , Carmine Foresta , Ezio Flagello , Frank Sivero , Tere Livrano , James Gounaris , Giuseppe Sillato , David Baker , Bridget Fonda , Michael V. Gazzo

Francis Ford Coppola's legendary continuation and sequel to his landmark 1972 film, The Godfather, parallels the young Vito Corleone's rise with his son Michael's spiritual fall, deepening The Godfath... read more read more...er's depiction of the dark side of the American dream. In the early 1900s, the child Vito flees his Sicilian village for America after the local Mafia kills his family. Vito (Robert De Niro) struggles to make a living, legally or illegally, for his wife and growing brood in Little Italy, killing the local Black Hand Fanucci (Gastone Moschin) after he demands his customary cut of the tyro's business. With Fanucci gone, Vito's communal stature grows, but it is his family (past and present) who matters most to him -- a familial legacy then upended by Michael's (Al Pacino) business expansion in the 1950s. Now based in Lake Tahoe, Michael conspires to make inroads in Las Vegas and Havana pleasure industries by any means necessary. As he realizes that allies like Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) are trying to kill him, the increasingly paranoid Michael also discovers that his ambition has crippled his marriage to Kay (Diane Keaton) and turned his brother, Fredo (John Cazale), against him. Barely escaping a federal indictment, Michael turns his attention to dealing with his enemies, completing his own corruption. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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R, 3 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Release Date: December 20, 1974

Keywords: mob, gangster

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DVD Release Date: May 24, 2005

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Flixster Reviews (23,340)

  • spielberg00
    June 8, 2012
    spielberg00
    Don't ask me how this film entertains so marvelously. Its predecessor had the same embellishment, but not as strongly. THE GODFATHER PART II is a whopping three hours and twenty minutes, but once an hour has passed by, it will only have felt like twenty minutes, if that. Furth... read moreermore, every scene is absolutely worth its place here. Take one scene out and the plot loses its timeless value. The first I would jump to praising for making this film endure every single minute it possesses is Robert De Niro. Let me be clear: Marlon Brando was great in the original film, as a thoroughly intriguing and convincing representation of the title character. Though Robert De Niro is the one who actually becomes his character in this film. He doesn't speak a word of English in all of his screen time, yet that doesn't hold him back from seeming even more like a ruthless criminal than Brando did.

    Other than the plots, THE GODFATHER PART II is very much similar to its predecessor. It reprises much of the subtleties that set the first film profoundly apart from any other crime drama: the quiet musical score (this time with intermixed pieces that sound even more Italian); the steady, easygoing pace; the cinematographic film-noir mood, with abundant silhouetting. If there is one aspect that does make this more interesting than the original, it certainly is the plot(s).
  • bathshebamonk
    May 22, 2012
    bathshebamonk
    Thirty-seven years after this came out, it is still one of the most thrilling movies out there. Al Pacino and Diane Keaton have to be the most unlikely couple ever cooked up by Hollywood, but their chemistry is real. The story lines never seem implausable and they succeed in ma... read moreking criminals sympathetic. The scenes shot in Italy are so beautiful you can lick them. The flashback scene at Vito's birthday party when Michael announces he joined the Marines--after his father and lawyer-brother pulled strings to keep him out--is a brilliantly executed study in character. It is a real salute to Cappollo to say that when Michael Coreleone is alone at the end of the movie, you absolutely feel for him.
  • ironclad1609
    April 9, 2012
    ironclad1609
    The sequel to Coppola's classic mafia crime story both continues the events around Michael Corleone and takes us back to his father's life story. Michael, wonderfully portrayed by Al Pacino, seems to get more ruthless, unsympathetic and paranoid while ruling his empire with an ir... read moreon fist. He still has to fight the competition, deal with betrayal from his own ranks and deal with his broken marriage at the same time. That's interesting most of the time, but sometimes could have used some serious trimming. The film easily could have lost 30-45 more minutes to be much more leaner and to the point. Instead it is celebrating its own slowness a little too much. The flashbacks portraying Vito's story, now played by Robert DeNiro, do not exactly explain the man's thoughts and motivations. We get glimpses at his life every five years or so, but the decision to become the next Godfather remains somewhat in the dark. A well acted and filmed sequel, but it does not top the original film and is honestly a tad overrated, if judged by today's viewing habits.
  • fb1664868775
    March 22, 2012
    fb1664868775
    One of the best sequels of all time, the depth of this one exceeds it's predecessor. DeNiro and Pacino are amazing.
  • fb100002359227440
    February 1, 2012
    fb100002359227440
    Terrific film, the best sequel ever! And in some moments, The Godfather, Part II is even better that the first one. Fresh.
  • fb1576983399
    January 23, 2012
    fb1576983399
    This is just as, if not more interesting than the first. The depiction of Vito's rise and Michael's fall is nice. Like the first, however, the story is a dull chess match: the strategy is impressive, but it is still a boring game. It is also sad that Brando is not present and Caa... read moren only makes a brief appearance.
  • emilkakko
    January 7, 2012
    emilkakko
    Pacinio is even better than Brando and Coppola shows his mastery as director again, but this one suffers from the overblown script.
  • danperry17
    November 6, 2011
    danperry17
    The second Godfather is packed with great scenes, and particularly shines when flashing back to Vito Corleone's youth in Sicily, where de Niro slowly brings the origin story to life directly from Puzo's pages.

    But to the masses of people who cite this film as one of the few w... read morehere the sequel was better than the original, I have to disagree. The narrative is a little loopy from the start - too little explanation with the whole Pentangeli vs. the Rosato brothers bit - and leaves the rest of the film as an over-long head-scratcher. The moments are great, but as a cohesive story (or, as it is, two cohesive stories), it just doesn't work as well as it could. The original was much grittier and much more exciting, where as this one dragged on, and instead of finding the excitement, I spent most of the movie waiting.

    It's still superior to a great many films, but the change in tone is remarkable. To borrow a title of a David Adams Richards sequel, this a movie "for those who hunt the wounded down," and lacks the accessibility and appeal of its predecessor.
  • DreamExtractor
    September 30, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    The Godfather Part 2 is considered the greatest sequel that has ever been made and also considered the greatest film ever made by many people, and I can honestly this movie is totally worthy of those two statements. The plot continues the story of the Corleone family and the new... read more Godfather Michael as he struggles to uphold the family business, but we also get a look in the past of the Corleone family as we see the childhood of Vito Corleone and his rise to power. The plot is an genius, masterful, and basically perfect sequel to the first and some may even consider it better than the first film, I really loved them about the same and consider them both to be two of the best mob films of all time, and a film like this that has a story so well constructed is just so great and its one of those movies that you just know that it will be great by the title of the film, and then you discover it is better than you thought it would be, and that was what happened with me in this film. The entire cast of this movie deserves Oscars, I am serious i could not think of many casts that could surpass this one, even without Marlon Brando this turned out to be a character driven story and the performances of those characters are incredible. Al Pacino was the perfect choice for these films the moment we saw him in the first film, and I think this will be one of the main films he will be remembered for when he dies. Robert DeNiro deserved the Oscar, he played the role so perfectly and with so much intensity and I just think that DeNiro is one of the greatest actors of all time, he is so great. The production of the film is also worth mentioning, I mean for such a old film I could not believe how well they did it, it sets the mood so well and perfectly as well. The Godfather Part 2 is the greatest sequel of all time I think, it may not be my favorite sequel, but I know deep down that The Godfather Part 2 will always have a great place in my heart because of how perfect it is in so many ways.
  • fb100000257973100
    August 5, 2011
    fb100000257973100
    As I have said in all of the 100 reviews I have written up to this point, if there is one thing I despise it would have to be sequels. Now, for those that are new, the reason why is simple: sequels next to never live up to their potential and end up destroying the story that the ... read moreoriginal had created. Well, this film does not destroy nor surpasses The Godfather. Instead, it is more like a continuation of an already great tale, giving us the back story on Vito (played by a then unknown RObert De Niro) and the destruction of Michael (played by already Academy Award winner Al Pacino) in a rather original way to tell both stories: show through out the film both sides as they happen at once. Now, as most people know, I love the beloved original film and I was a little worried about my taste with this film. I already knew that it won a slew of Academy Awards (including the award for best film; a first for a sequel) and people have had the audacity to say that this is the better film in Francis Ford Coppola's epic Crime saga. My opinion after watching this film is that, if I had to guess where it would rank among the three films, I would have to say that it would be almost tied to the original. The main reason is this: The original had a feel of being welcomed into this world. Through the opening shots of Vito Corleone talking to his friend on the day of his daughter's wedding, we are welcomed with cold arms into their world. With this film however, you are just thrown in without any mercy. You are shown the blunt world where everyone is guilty of something and no one is innocent (except the children Marianna Hill as Deanna Corleone) and you are left cold and isolated as you look into the past and present of the Corleone crime family. But what really makes this film stand out would have to be how much all of the characters have changed from the previous film. For Michael, he goes from being a bright young man to a ruthless, heartless, cold bastard that destroys everything in his way to his sister Connie who has become something of a complete tramp and a neglectful mother. Due to how these characters change, you get the feeling that this film would be better due to their development. But, as I have said, it is mostly due to the feel of this film that makes the original a tad bit better. But, ignoring that aspect, this film is a perfect follow up to the original classic. Now for the details. With directing, Coppola shows us that he is no where near tired yet as he directs this entire masterpiece. Now, the thing that caught me off guard with this film would have to be the slew of emotions I felt while watching this film. If there is one thing that Coppola can do is make his audience feel for the characters. He allows them to build up, grow, and when two particular scenes near the end begin, you can not help but feel like you are about to burst into tears due to how desperate one character is, and the actions and heartache another one shows us. Coppola is a master behind a camera, and this film might be his directorial masterpiece (next to The Godfather and Apocalypse Now). With acting, oh wow. Where do I begin with this one. Might as well start with the men of this film. Okay, first person to mention is Al Pacino in his award winning role as Michael Corelone. After already winning an Academy Award for that role when he was in the original, I am still impressed at how he was able to move the character through out this story. He made the character barbaric, evil, and just plain unlikable, but his acting made him likable as well. Just, Pacino breathed life into this character and allowed him to take control in so many ways it was unreal. After this film was made, he won another Academy Award for this film and I must say: it was well earned. Next is Robert De Niro portraying Vito Corleone. As most people know about this film, it goes back and forth between Michael's life and Vito's life and for Vito, we have a then unknown actor filling in the shoes of Marlon Brando. Now, that alone is difficult as hell to do, considering how great Brando was and how iconic he made the character. Now, my reaction to this performance was that I am impressed with the bravery alone that De Niro had for this performance. He portrayed the younger Vito with such power and authority that he would of made Brando proud. He was just that good. Now, De Niro would go on the receive the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor, and for this film he deserves it. If you are a fan of De Niro's work, then this is a good place to start for learning about his career. Now you have Robert Duvall as the ever loyal Tom Hagen. Personally, I like how he was able to keep cool during some rather intense scenes that deal with Michael's decent into pure hell. Duvall gives it his all in this film and he was wonderful. Now we must get down to the three women who took over this film. The first would have to be Diane Keaton as Amy Corleone. When we last saw her, we saw the look of shame and disgust that was on her face when she realized how much Michael has lied to her. In this film, she wants out. How badly does she want to get out? So bad that she does the unthinkable in one scene and makes it out to be something different that is all part of her plan. Now, Keaton had to play a complete different character in this film and seeing her new way of handling this character, I will admit that it was shocking and reveling in terms of her pure talent to act. She is an incredible actress and she is wonderful. Next would have to be Marianna Hill as Deanna Corleone. In the first film, Marianna had very little screen time as she was not that important to the story. Here, she plays a much larger role and has one of the most somber scenes in this film. She makes the character out to be more then a sweet old lady, she makes the character out to be an intelligent, thoughtful, and wise person who helps Michael when he is left with a terrible thought that nearly destroys him. Lastly Talia Shire as Connie. Like most females in the first film, here she shines as a totally different character. What makes her worthy is how she makes herself out to be this tramp that just does not care about her family, hates her brother, and abandons her children. Connie transformed in one of the worst ways possible, but we love Shire for making the character so damn wonderful to watch. Next up is the script. One thing that needs to be stressed is that this film's script was only half written from the original novel by Mario Puzo. The other half was written by him and Coppola, but it was mostly original. Personally, I did not think that the story needed to be continued, but having the original creator there to do the work, the script became a clever, emotionally charged epic that is bound to catch a few people off guard. Fantastic work here. Lastly the score. Getting Nina Rota back again, the score is longer, has more music cues, and is just fun to listen to. The best tracks appear during the flashback scenes in the film while the msot dramatic happen in the present day parts. But, what I like about it is just how creative it gets with the music and how it moves from the beginning to the end. The entire time, we are eclipsed with the wonders of it's notes that the music becomes a comfort in so many scenes. Then again, the score did win the award for best original score, so that should say something. Overall, this is an emotional film that is worthy of it's original and works well as a stand alone in some respects.

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Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington
February 24, 2013
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

One of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed American films, a landmark work from one of Hollywood's top cinema eras. Full Review

February 20, 2009
TIME Magazine

Not once does Pacino overtly ask for the audience's sympathy, but through a disciplined, suggestive performance he dominates the film. Full Review

A.D. Murphy
February 19, 2008
A.D. Murphy, Variety

The Paramount release has everything going for it. Full Review

Don Druker
December 13, 2006
Don Druker, Chicago Reader

Francis Ford Coppola pulls it off in grand style. Full Review

Geoff Andrew
June 24, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

The performances, Gordon Willis' memorably gloomy camerawork, the stately pace and the sheer scale of the story's sweep render everything engrossing and so, well, plausible that our ideas of organised... Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The stunning text of The Godfather is replaced in Part II with prologues, epilogues, footnotes, and good intentions. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

It's a second movie made largely out of the bits and pieces of Mr. Puzo's novel that didn't fit into the first. It's a Frankenstein's monster stitched together from leftover parts. It talks. It moves ... Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Few sequels have expanded upon the original with the faithfulness and detail of this one. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
August 22, 2012
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

This film has an even broader scope than the original, but does not fail in its depiction of small, intimate moments and surprising emotional reveals. Full Review

Radheyan Simonpillai
August 14, 2012
Radheyan Simonpillai, AskMen.com

It delves deeper into the Corleone mythology, past the romanticism, to deliver an epic and intelligent tragedy. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Hyman Roth: Smaller piece.
    • Michael Corleone: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
    • Michael Corleone: Keep them alive.
    • Rocco Lampone: We'll try.
    • Michael Corleone: Rocco! Alive!
    • Vito Corleone: [whispering in Italian] My father's name was Antonio Andolini, and this is for you!
    • Fredo Corleone: [ordering drinks in a Havana cafe] Uno... por favor... [to Michael] How do you say banana daiquiri?
    • Michael Corleone: Banana daiquiri.
    • Sonny: Whatcha go to college? To get stupid? You're really stupid!
Submit a Fact | View All

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The Godfather, Part II Trivia

  • What is the only film that Francis Ford Coppola has won Best Director at the Academy Awards for?  Answer »
  • Which was the first sequel to win an Academy Award for Best Picture?  Answer »
  • Which movie was the first sequel to win an Academy Award for Best Picture?  Answer »
  • Which movie has the following quote: "Keep you friends close and your enemies even closer..."  Answer »
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