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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Godfather: Part III, The
Paramount Pictures


5.5

based on 19 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 32 votes
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: R

Starring Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Andy Garcia, Sofia Coppola, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, and Bridget Fonda

In this third film in the epic Corleone trilogy, Al Pacino reprises the role of powerful family leader Michael Corleone. Now in his 60's, Michael is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Garcia)... but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. (Paramount)

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Francis Ford Coppola Mario Puzo
DIRECTED BY:	Francis Ford Coppola
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: October 9, 2001 Video: May 6, 1997 Theatrical: December 25, 1990
RUNNING TIME:	162 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

In this brilliantly sustained climax, Coppola unveils a vision of corruption that embraces the entire world, but he's also reveling in sheer theatrical magic in a way that only a master can.

100

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

This lushly photographed, brilliantly acted and wonderfully entertaining movie has its own claims to uniqueness. It's the most thoughtful of the three films, and its climax brings the entire series into sharper focus. [25 Dec 1990, Daily Datebook, p.E1]

Los Angeles Times Michael Wilmington

Though definitely one of the best American movies of the year--a work of high ensemble talent and intelligence, gorgeously mounted and crafted, artistically audacious in ways that most American movies don't even attempt--it's still a disappointment… It's not the capstone we might have wanted Coppola to make. [23 Dec 1990, Calendar, p.9]

Variety Staff (Not Credited)

Part III matches its predecessors in narrative intensity, epic scope, socio-political analysis, physical beauty and deep feeling for its characters and milieu.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It's strange how the earlier movies fill in the gaps left by this one, and answer the questions. It is, I suspect, not even possible to understand this film without knowing the first two, and yet, knowing them, Part III works better than it should.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

One of the most obvious problems with The Godfather Part III is that it covers little new territory. The plot is highly derivative of the original.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

A provocative and stirring climax to the Corleone saga, as well as an autonomous work that sometimes shows Coppola at his near best.

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

One of this film's greatest accomplishments is its making an audience believe that the Corleones and their various partners in crime have been entirely in character during the intervening decades, but have simply neglected to turn up on screen.

USA Today Mike Clark

Alas, what you've heard about Sofia Coppola (as Michael's daughter) is true; she swallows words and speaks “valley girl.'' What a difference Winona Ryder would have made. [24 Dec 1990, Life, p.1D]

The New Republic Stanley Kauffmann

Andy Garcia, who first became noticeable in The Untouchables, has seductive strength, homicidal cool. One reason to look forward to Part IV is that he'll fill the center better than Pacino does. [21 Jan 1991, p.26]

Time Richard Corliss

With all its boardroom bickering, the plot is a gun that shoots mostly blanks. G3 is too faithful to the deliberate pacing of the first two films: the slow walking into a dark room, the silence surrounding the threats... The film is a slow fuse with a big bang. [24 Dec 1990, p.76]

TV Guide Staff (Non Credited)

One of the most frustrating films of 1990, an epic without epic scope, a muted, strained, unnatural affair that never comes into dramatic focus.

Chicago Tribune Dave Kehr

An air of embarrassing familiarity hangs over the entire project, as if it were a story told by an aging relative not quite aware of how many times, and how much better, he has been over the same material before. [25 Dec 1990, Tempo, p.1]

The New Yorker Pauline Kael

Lightning didn't strike three times; the movie is lumbering... I don't think it's going to be a public humiliation, and it's too amorphous to damage our feelings about the first two. [1 Jan 1991]

Empire Barry McIlheney

A dreadful disappointment.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

The main performances are generally weak, although the smaller ones are sometimes brilliant, and the yarn never builds much momentum as it leapfrogs from one subplot to another. [28 Dec 1990, Arts, p.14]

Washington Post Desson Thomson

It's hard to tell if this thing's serious or parody and, if it is parody, whether or not it's intentional. Is it a winky joke, for instance, to have lightweight performer George Hamilton as Pacino's business attorney, or just ridiculous casting? Hamilton's performance points to the latter.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jay Scott

More than merely another bad movie, it's the most depressing development yet in Coppola's career. It's a would-be cash cow bred cynically to excrete money, the arty answer to "Child's Play 2" or "Back to the Future III."

Washington Post Hal Hinson

The Godfather Part III isn't just a disappointment, it's a failure of heartbreaking proportions... It makes you wish it had never been made.

The average user rating for this movie is 5.5 (out of 10) based on 32 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Hudson T gave it a9:
Not perfect, but certainly better than part two. Ultimately, after hearing about how everyone was so disappointed with three, I was surprised by how good it was.

Jared K. gave it a10:
Sofia Coppla isn't nough to ruin this. The cast is stellar!

James L. gave it a1:
This one is the weakest film of 1990. The acting is poor. And Sofia Coppola is mistaken for being cast in the movie. Andy Garcia played his part well. Call that the most powerful film? NOT!

Joyce C. gave it a0:
The first part fascinated me, the book is amazing, the film isn't as good, but part 2 wasn't as good, it was all right, but it never worked with Al Pacino. And this, Al Pacino is more tuff, grumpy, and more compromising, I found cheesy and terrible. Either it is good, all right, or terrible. Classics can be either of the three since I know what a classic is. And this is terrible.

JC A. gave it a0:
Sucky, although well acted, I can see Oscars many times being nominated for this film, but I don't like how there has to be a part 3, when all this does is add on from part 2. What a draggy cinematic poor film, and why Al Pacino? his age is done in part 2, I think Andy Garcia (also starring in this film) could play the godfather really well, just think about it.

Jarad C. gave it a0:
Completely boring, it has twists and turns, but it is so flat and hollow. Very disappointing.

James E gave it a9:
Not as good as the originals, but defiantly gripping and intense.

Godfather: Part III, The Paramount Pictures

Godfather: Part III, The
Paramount Pictures