The Godfather Part III (1990)

Wow, this is a really poor cousin of the first two films. Centring on the later life of "Michael" (Al Pacino) this has much more of an episodic, almost soap opera, feel to it. He is determined to become legitimate, to look after his family and to stay alive despite the conspiring of Eli Wallach's "Don Altobello" and some of his cohorts who are trying to assassinate him and claim the Corleone crown. Talia Shire is quite effective as his sister "Connie" but Andy Garcia's smarmy "Vincent" (the son of the gunned down "Sonny") just made me squirm. This film really does miss the previously strong supporting cast too. No Robert Duval; Diane Keaton (with some simply hideous jewellery) features but sparingly and the whole thing just plugs along until a rather downbeat ending that just didn't seem to do justice to the excellence of Puzo's story or to the previously established, captivating, characterisations. It looks great, the production is first rate but this is just not a story to compare with the others.