"The Godfather Part III" @ 30

Yours truly had yet to be born when the first two Godfather movies were released in 1972 and 1974. However, I clearly remember when, early in my teenage years, The Godfather Part III came out in December 1990.

The first two movies were huge critical and commercial successes, became cultural phenomena, and are widely regarded as some of the greatest movies ever made. Obviously the third movie had A LOT to live up to, with expectations nearly impossible to meet. The movie's production received lots of press attention and controversy -- actors were cast and then uncast, it cost a lot to make, etc. etc. I remember wondering why this particular movie was such a big deal but then my brother showed me the first two movies on videotape (remember videotape?) and then I was as excited as anyone to see this one. 

Godfather III received a mixed reception from critics and audience upon its release -- some liked it a lot more than others -- but almost everyone agreed that it was nowhere near as good as its illustrious predecessors. I basically agree but, unlike some, I don't think this movie is as bad as some believe.

Normally when a classic film hits a big anniversary date, its gets some media attention and then that's that. But this year, this December, The Godfather Part III has been resurrected in a new form -- director Francis Ford Coppolla has recut the movie and is releasing it this month. It's basically a brand new movie and it even has a brand new title: The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. The reception for this new version has been great and, much like thirty years ago, I can't wait to see it ... all over again.

And while The Godfather story is sprawling -- across decades, across countries -- it's fundamentally a New York City story. It's a story of immigrants, of strivers, of people wanting a better life, of people turning to crime so that their children can live the American dream. It's a story of how this city is a place of both great opportunity and great danger, of great possibilities and great pitfalls. It's a quiteseential NYC story, spiritally capturing this town as any story told before or since.