A legendary sequel that fans claim ‘surpasses the first film in every way’ has just arrived on Netflix in the UK – and it’s a must-watch if you haven’t already.
It’s extremely rare that follow-up films are considered to match the quality of a beloved original, let alone outstrip it.
In some exceptional circumstances, Hollywood has delivered us such movies though in the shape of (according to many fans) The Dark Knight, Toy Story 2 and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
But perhaps the most famous example, and the one that is, as of today, available to Netflix subscribers in the UK, is The Godfather Part II.
It was added to Netflix on Thursday alongside The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, a 2020 recut version of the much-maligned The Godfather Part III.
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Coming two years after The Godfather had taken Hollywood by storm in 1972, making a star of its relative unknown leading man Al Pacino and cementing director Francis Ford Coppola as a filmmaker of note, the famous sequel is also a prequel.
It follows two timelines, continuing Michael Corleone’s (Pacino) journey as the new Don of the crime family, intertwined with his father Vito’s (Robert De Niro) childhood in Sicily and later rise to power in New York City.
Further cast members include Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, John Cazale and Talia Shire.
The Godfather Part II matched the original film’s impressive eleven Oscar nominations but doubled its haul of wins from three to six, including the most coveted award of all for best picture – the first sequel to achieve the feat.
‘Not many movie sequels are as successful as the first movie but Godfather Part II is even better!’ enthused Ruth Haritou in a five-star Google review, while another fan agreed it was ‘superior to the first film’ thanks to the ‘genius conceit’ of its dual stories and timelines.
‘The Godfather Part II isn’t just a sequel, it’s a masterpiece that surpasses the first film in every way. Michael’s transformation from a quiet war hero into a cold, ruthless leader was powerful and necessary, but heartbreaking,’ added Veer Singh, as Beverley Smith shared she was ‘in complete awe with this movie’ and ‘blown away, every time I watch it’.
‘I do have to agree that calling Godfather Part II a sequel is rather insulting,’ wrote Kyle Ellis. ‘It is one of those rare sequels that almost outdoes the first, and considering how amazing the first Godfather was that says a lot. The Godfather Part II is longer, but in some ways it is also richer.’
Fans were even more effusive on Rotten Tomatoes where the esteemed movie boasts a 96% rating from critics and 97% from over 250,000 audience reactions.
When a film can hold such a high rating on the platform, decades after its release rather than merely enjoying a boost in popularity as a new movie, it truly says something about its quality.
Lucas G called it ‘the best movie of all history’ and Mohamed R wrote: ‘A masterpiece and the greatest sequel to a film ever made. Without a doubt, the greatest achievement in the history of cinema.’
‘Amazingly, in many ways it’s better than the top 10 movie of all-time original. This is the standard for sequels that has yet to be surpassed,’ added Thomas Scott B.
‘It amazes me that a film that was made so long ago has aged better than most film that were made last week. Some scenes in this film will never be replicated,’ mused Shaun R.
While reviews for The Godfather Part II were initially more mixed, it grossed approximately $93million (£68.3m) on a budget of just $13m (£9.5m) and was quite quickly re-assessed.
The National Society of Film Critics in America placed it on their list of the Top 100 Essential Films of All Time in 2002, alongside The Godfather.
Meanwhile its screenplay – co-written by Coppola and the original novel’s author Mario Puzo – was named the tenth greatest ever by Writers Guild of America in 2006.
Sadly, The Godfather Part III did not receive the same reaction upon release 16 years later.
While still a commercial success, making a worldwide total of $136.8m (£102.4m) against a production budget of $54m (£40.4m), Coppola only signed up for it due to his own terrible financial situation after the flop of 1982 musical One from the Heart.
It was criticised for relying too heavily on the films that came before it story-wise, as well as for its poor performances – mainly that of the director’s daughter, Sofia Coppola, as Michael and Kay’s daughter Mary Corleone.
Coppola added nine minutes to the movie for its 1991 home release ‘Final Director’s Cut’, before doing the proper actual final cut in 2020 for its 30th anniversary with The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.
This, he explained, was the film as he and co-writer Mario Puzo had originally envisioned it, with Pacino and Keaton both adding their support too.
The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone are streaming on Netflix in the UK now.
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