THE GODFATHER PART 2 (1974) MOVIE REACTION - INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES! - First Time Watching - Review 

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Vito had all the three qualities that his three sons only possessed one of; Sonny's ruthlessness, Michael's brains, and Fredo's heart.

If you pay close attention, you'll remember that in the first film, Michael was sheltered in Sicily by Don Tommasino, who used a wheelchair and had to use canes to walk. Then in this film when Vito returns to Sicily as a grown man and visits Don Ciccio who murdered his family, he goes there with a friend referred to as Tomassino, who gets blasted in the legs by a shotgun when they escape. That's how Don Tommasino ended up in a wheelchair. He turns up again in Part III too.

So, the reason Vito realized Fanucci was a fake: he told his pals to give him less than what they were told. If Fanucci was an actual mobster or had actual power, he wouldn't have taken the small amount of money he was given. But he did. And Vito's suspicions were confirmed when he followed him and saw he lived in a shithole of an apartment.

Here's something interesting someone else pointed out: The Godfather saw Vito's reign and the beginning of Michael's. The Godfather 2 followed Michaels reign and Vito's beginnings.

When you realize that it was Sonny who introduced Connie to Carlo 😬

Michael became what Vito hated the most. It's like a black mirror. You think Vito would have killed his own brother? Do you think that's what he would have wanted Michael to do? Hell no. Don Ciccio got the last laugh after all. Vito's son became just like him. "I don't want to wipe everyone out, just my enemies." Echos what Don Ciccio said in the beginning

The most heartwrenching moment for me is in the last scene...when Michael tells everyone he joined the Marines... The only one to support him in the moment...was Fredo.

The thing I love most about ur reactions is how u can put out over an hour of content. Most reactions on RU-vid are like 20 to 40mins to a 3hr movie! which just doesn't give it any justice. U guys just deliver every time. Thank you ❤️

You two are the smartest, most observant film reactors on RU-vid. Your attention to details like cinematography, acting performances, and all of the nuance of a truly great film are a pleasure to see. Super excited whenever you upload a reaction to a film worth watching. Well done.

There is no doubt Godfather is absolutely masterpiece but Godfather part 2 has a different gravitas interms of dialogue and interaction every one has and it totally allows the viewer to feel the weight.... Iconic movie ❤

John Cazale that plays Fredo is an amazing actor. He tragically died only 42 years old but in his short movie career he was in Godfather 1&2, Deer Hunter and Dog Day Afternoon. That's a pretty nice resume of movies!

Man, the movie was so good I didn't even realize it was 3 hours long. A movie has to be fantastic to pull that off for me.

The reason these two movies feel like one big story is because the backstory of Vito Corleone is part of the first novel. They didn't use it in the first film, choosing instead to use it here for the second movie. That's why it all feels so organic. For those that read the book, Vito's backstory was always part of the first film. It was a brilliant decision to save it for the second film, especially considering at the time they had no idea they would ever make a second film.

Winner of 6 Oscars including Best Picture, it was the first sequel in film history to win an Oscar.

The scene where Diane Keaton delivers the news about what happened to their son will never not crush me. It's one of the most devestating displays of raw anger I've ever seen, and she played it beautifully. And the way Michael just fumed and she had space to say her piece. Absolutely Chilling. I hope you guys check out part 3. It's not as good as the first two, but it does expand the lore of the movies you already like so I think it's worth it for real fans.

The guy who took Vito to steal the rug was Peter Clemenza, the "leave the gun, take the Cannoli" guy from the first movie. The third guy in the trio with young Vito was Salvatore Tessio, the guy who tries to betray Michael in the first movie.

To this day, I don’t understand how Al Pacino did not win the Oscar for this role.

Love the ending, how at the end of the birthday Michael sits alone, and the end of the movie he's all alone. What a way to end the twolagy.

If you wanna know more of Coppola's filmography outside The Godfather trilogy, check out a lesser known one called The Conversation, with Gene Hackman and John Cazale (aka Fredo). Then watch Apocalypse Now! That movie will show you Robert Duvall's range as an actor.

The scene at their mothers funeral, when Michael is hugging Fredo, shows the ruthlessness of his character better than any other scene. Even the ice-cold hitman Al Neri feels remorse when Michaels tells him, just with his look alone, what he has to do now.

Fun fact: The part of Frankie Pentangeli was originally supposed to be Clemenza, but negotiations broke down so they renamed and recast the role. (It's mentioned in the movie that Clemenza has died since the events of the first film.) Michael lied to Kay at the end of the first film, and he lies to her throughout this one. But one has to keep in mind that he doesn't _want_ to lie to her. That's why he insisted the first time she asked, that she not meddle in his business. He wanted their relations to stay honest and that could only happen if she didn't pry. But being an American woman, she does pry, which leads to his having to lie to her. His mother never, ever asked about the Don's business - being Sicilian, she knew perfectly well not to get involved because that could compromise her husband's life. But Kay doesn't have that "home training", that knowledge that is gained through osmosis, so her misstep starts a chain of dishonesty. Micheal's cold and ruthless, but he never wanted to be dishonest with his wife; he wanted his real family to stay a real family, but it was not to be. The two worlds couldn't coexist, so it fell apart. He loses his real family and is stuck with his cold, ruthless business family, all warmth gone. Aside from Michael's presence, the events in Cuba are portrayed very close to what actually happened. Michael witnesses the Revolution and Castro's takeover, which of course strips him and Roth and all the others of their investments and property. All those "wonderful things" Roth crowed about were the very reason it all collapsed to abruptly. You can only push people so far before they fight back. The hearing at which Micheal testifies and to which he brings Pentangeli's brother from Sicily, is based on the Mafia hearings of the 50's. The framing and setup are directly from photographs of the hearings, just as the crime scenes in the first film were based on photos of actual Mafia hits of the 40's. The actor who played Don Roberto, the landlord that Vito terrifies into letting the widow stay in her apartment, was a standup comedian from Italy. All of the business with the door was a prank that Coppola played on him. He told the guy by the door to lock it after Roberto comes in, to see what he would do when the door wouldn't open. He handled it like a pro, of course, playing up the actual difficulty and turning it into a golden comic bit - everything he says and does after getting to the door is improv. Tom's protests that killing Roth was impossible because "it would be like trying to kill the President" is ironic because the President was indeed killed not long after he said it. Also, the framing of Roth's killing is based on the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald in custody after he assassinated JFK. (This film was grounded as much as possible in the reality of the period.) ETA; For my money, the best shot in the film is Clemenza pointing his gun at the policeman's shadow, when he and Vito are stealing the rug. That shot is iconically beautiful.

The solitary peacefulness from Michael..... ....Mirrors Vito as a child, when he was shipped to America all alone. Movie is, and gets deeper everytime you watch it

I love how you put incredible performances in the title. Al Pacino in this movie is probably the best performance in the history of movies. The scene where he learns about the abortion is probably the best minute of acting in any movie ever. The way he becomes completely evil and loses his soul is magnificent acting. And the fact he can dial that back at the end and become an idealistic young man is probably the best part of his performance. Robert De Niro was also good too, lol.

It’s amazing both Pacino & DeNiro never interacted in this movie. It wasn’t until the movie _Heat_ (1995) they both finally interacted and it was epic!

The great Lee Strasberg was Al Pachino’s former acting teacher. He was the one who suggested that he be given the role of Roth.

Tom tells Frankie's brother in Italian "All is well, the honor of your family is intact". Meaning, all Frankie had to do was look at his brother to remember their code & way of life, which was to never talk to the police or rat out their own family, period.

Ive watched this so many times, I lost count. Theres always something new to admire about this story and the way it was filmed. love it.

When young Vito came back for Don Ciccio, one of their friends (the one who introduce him) was Tomassino. Tomassino, much older obviously, helped Michael in Italy when he killed the police officer and Sollozo. If you remember, Tomassino walked always with a cane due to a limp. That limp was produced because of the shot on the knee when he was young, in that moment when Vito murdered Ciccio.

There's a line in Part 3 that goes something like: Michael "Just as I thought I was out, they dragged me back in". This encapsulates the moments in the journeys of both Vito and Michael when they could have made a different choice other than the ones they did. Choosing to follow the expectations of the tribe. Ignoring their faint inner voice telling them that maybe they could be better.

Frank Pentangeli is such a great character. He is nicknamed "Frankie Five Angels" from his last name, the Greek word penta ("five") and the Italian word angeli ("angels").

"My answer is this, nothing." One of my favorite lines over all these years!

Robert de Niro and Al Pacino. Two of the three best male Actors of all Times (in my Eyes) in one Film. Surely a masterpiece.

Great job...Now that you reacted to both movies I want to point out some of the trivia associated with the characters..Hyman Roth was playing the quasi role of Meyer Lansky, the Jewish gangster know as the accountant a partner of Lucky Luciano, Moe Greene Was Bugsy Siegel the man who invented Las Vegas and was actually murdered by getting shot in the eye., Johnny Fontaine was Frank Sinatra and that war movie where he basically had to act like himself was "From Here to Eternity" where Sinatra an Italian kid from Jersey played DiMaggio an Italian kid from New Jersey....finally the scene when Sonny got shot at the toll booth he was listening to a ballgame...that game was the infamous 1951 Giants vs. the Dodgers playoff game.

These two installments of the Godfather saga can be used to teach full courses in film studies, there is so much to unpack. Coppola demonstrates his mastery of storytelling. I'll only mention a few things. The story behind Lee Strasberg getting his role is worth looking into. Never believe anything Michael tells you, he has gone from honesty and integrity in his youth to deception and manipulation effortlessly. Also, recall Michael is a third child so his anger at what he considers the murder of his own third child is apparent. Lastly, so glad you are watching the director's version which shows the parallels of Michael and his father. Happy you are both enjoying this so much.

In case you guys don't know why Michael kissed Fredo, that is known as the "Sicilian Kiss of Death" that they would give their loved ones before they later kill them.

Robert De Nero and Al Pacino are the legendary Mafia bosses that can dominate the whole organized crime 💚💚💚 Lovely guys ❤❤❤ Thanks for the video

Michael's vision of the family is a twisted upside-down perversion of all the hard work Vito put into building it. Every relationship his father had either turned on Michael or Michael wanting to be one -step ahead got rid of them, which is basically encapsulated with that final shot of Michael pensive, all by himself.

I just love how you guys pick all the similarities and things mirroring themselves. I always admired them myself. I also think about all 3 movies as a rondo. It's a music term when the main theme keeps coming over and over again. Like, all 3 parts start with family celebrations and dancing, all have Don Tomassino from Sicily, and all have the hospital and church scenes. And all 3 parts show how a man becomes who he becomes. I can talk about this movie forever. Can't wait to watch the last part with you guys!

The reason Anthony didn't go to his Mom during her visit is that he was in the hall outside of the room when Mike, and Kay were arguing. He heard everything Kay said; especially when she said she wouldn't bring another Son into this world.

Michael's hug to Fredo at the funeral. Was a hug goodbye.

Was literally searching your channel after watching part 1 reaction and this showed up!❤

Hyman Roth was based on real life gangster Meyer Lansky who was caught on an FBI bug saying "We're bigger than US Steel". Also Johnny Ola was based on gangster Vincent Alo.

I put my little comment to tell you that your reactions are the best because I really feel you invested in this, not only emotionally but culturally as well, interested by the lights, the sound, the dynamic in the scenes and in the editing. Now it's obvious to me that you will try Part 3 to conclude the trilogy. If you do so, I strongly advise you to check the theatrical cut (Part III) and not the most recent one (CODA). The most recent one has some improvement but the end is also changed. And the end of Part 3 was perfect whatever people say about the movie. The association of the music, the dancing crossfade, the face, the very last cut... No finale in cinema history has ever reached this level of "devastation" (to quote Denise) ever since. You can check CODA after to compare, but as the first experience, theatrical cut all the way.

The combination of the dialogue, acting and photography come together to make a whole much greater than even those stellar ingredients. And the pauses between dialogue express as much as the verbal communication.

You guys are seriously the most astute reactors! It's a thrill to be in your company.

This was the best reaction to Godfather 2 I've ever seen. Thank you.

You guys appreciated the lighting in the first one, so I flipped through your vids for Taxi Driver, but didn't see it. If you haven't seen it yet I know you'll love it.

Best reactors Ive found. Smart & totally engaged & pick up on all the different aspects of whatever theyre watching. & just cool, down to earth people with good taste

The fade to black transition at 42:50 was where the intermission was in the original cinema release of the movie

So interesting how young Vito built his power through gathering people around him, inspiring their trust and love. Michael, trying to hold power, loses all those connections, and shows a coldness and a willingness to go his own way (even in the retrospective scene at the end) that makes him ruthlessly efficient, but losing all those connections. Fantastic movie. I tend to prefer the sequel, but why quibble between two great films

That was a great reaction to one of the best sequels ever made. Hoping you will go on to watch the 3rd instalment, which seems to divide opinion (even Coppolla did a redux version a few years ago!) but which I think brings the story full circle and to a bitter end. Fun fact: When Mario Puzo, who wrote the original novel (which is brilliant and, amazingly, with more depth to characters' stories and backstories than the films), was asked to write the screenplays for Godfather 1 and 2. He managed it even though he had never done one before but, when the films collected so many oscars, he felt it was time to learn to screenwrite. So he bought a 'How to..." book and found, on the first few pages, that it advised readers who wanted to see a perfect script in action to "watch The Godfather".

Don Tomassino, the man in the white shirt who helped Michael while he was in exile in the first film. He walked with a limp then because of what happened during the killing of Don Ciccio. He was shot in the leg with a shotgun and limped as a result. Always thought that was cool to include, the Tomassino/Corleone relationship runs deep.

Part 2 was a much bigger production from the 1st one. Twice the budget and they filmed in the dominican rep (for cuba), nevada, NY, Florida and Sicily. Part 1 they never actually filmed in vegas with the cast. All the indoors were in NY and the outside was 2nd unit shots. Ditto for the Hollywood scenes. So part 2 was pretty grand and Francis didn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder about budgets or his own job security in part 2. He earned full control from the 1st film.

Masterpiece ever. Great

Remember the end of Godfather, the door closing in Kay's face, and Carlo setting up Sonny to be killed. Here we find out it was Sonny that introduced Carlo and Connie.

I've never said this before I don't think but I love the WAY you two watch movies. Not just the story or actors, but the lighting, the direction, the shot setups, the small mannerisms. This is how I tend to watch films and I really enjoy your reactions. Al Pacino may be a crazy old guy now, but these movies are proof that he is a brilliant actor. ✌💖😃

Hey Denise and Ari, we romanticize Vito as doing his acts to provide for his family since he's starting from much more humble mean. --------- What we don't see is Vito being truly ruthless and vicious, during the Mob wars of 1933 during the Post Prohibition era. --------- Which eventually created the 5 families of New YOrk. -------- I hope and pray one day the rise of Vito gets made. by a Chris Nolan or Danny Boyle that would be an amazing cap to the Godfather saga.

Yes!!! My favorite movie analysts! Let's see your take on this masterpiece! 😊

I must admit. Out of all the reactors yours are the most enjoyable, well paced, and intelligent.....keep it up.

Great reaction, guys. This movie is before my time, but it's one of my favorites. Btw, the $2 Million cash that Fredo was carrying in the suitcase in Cuba in 1957 just days prior to the 1957 Cuban revolution (in which Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba as a brutal Communist Dictator)...in today's dollars in 2023, that $2 Million cash in 1957 is equivalent to $22 Million in cash today in 2024. And I learned an interesting factoid in the past few years about this movie. It turns out that the actor, John Cazale, who plays Fredo Corleone (Michael's older brother) died only a few short years after this movie, in 1978 at the age of 42 from cancer. I understand that he was a great guy in real life. He left behind a fiance who loved him dearly...she was an up-and-coming Hollywood actress at that time. Her name is Meryl Streep. 💜

36:59 watch how after Rocco goes out the sliding door, he turns and watches through the doorway until Tom moves from behind Micheal, showing that he's the consummate bodyguard.

Master class film making and acting...the scene where mike hears fredo and realized fredo betrayed him..wow.

If you remember.. in Part 1, during the scene when Michael met Mo Greene, he warned Fredo, “don’t ever take sides against the family again… ever” Welp ..? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Another excellent commentary guys! Made my morning.

I really enjoy your reactions, your chemistry with each other, your commentary, and the overall vibe. Thank you!

One of the very few sequels that are better imo…….what an iconic film. Pacino is so menacing in this - what a legend.

Where as Godfather was Michael's rise to power and the acceptance of him into the Corleone Crime family, this is Michael's fall. The most telling is that at the end of Godfather, Michael is surround by his Capo Regimes, top enforcer, and others. And at the end of Part II he's *absolutely* alone.

The cinematographer of the Godfather films was Gordon Willis. His nickname was The Prince of Darkness!

Hey Denise and Ari, the reason Vito knew definition was not a real gangster comes from the fact that when he was younger Vito knew that for Fanucci was jumped by some street thugs and got his throat cut which is the score we see on his neck. ------ Then fanucchi didn't roll with an entourage of bodyguards to hold his back. ------ Another Tell-Tale sign is when Vito offers the lower payment to Fanucci, most gangsters would have taken that as a sign of disrespect I immediately and dished out retribution. Vito almost died at the hand of Sicilan gangsters from. ----- He knew what the real thing look like and Fanucci was nowhere close to the level of gangster the Vito had seen first hand

The fact that both Marlon and Robert received awards for one same character. Crazy.

I love Godfather II but I still say Godfather is the best movie of all time, because of the cast, director, script, score, cinematography. You just can't beat it.

Hey Denise and Ari, You guys are loving the demenor of Vito in the flashbacks. ------- Just know, "The Godfather III" was supposed to be the rise of Vito. --------- It got sidelined and Coppola eventually decided to finish the story of Michael Corleone instead. ------ Seeing Michael surrounded by his enemies having to be cold and ruthless.

The Godfather came out when I was in middle school. It's so great watching your generation discover it. I highly recommend watching Rocky if you haven't already. It was another academy award winner. Rocky's wife, Adrienne, is played by Talia Shire. She is Connie Corelone here, and she is also the producer, FF Coppola's sister. I believe she won the Oscar in Rocky also. And there nephew is Nicolas Cage. Anyway, Rocky 1-3 are excellent movies.

I may have said this in a previous reaction but you guys are two of the best reactors on YT!! Your after movie commentary is always so intelligent, insightful, and detailed. Love your reactions!!!

I can't believe you recognized Lee Strassberg. But then......I CAN believe it! You guys fire on all cylinders: acting, script, cinematography plus emotionally engaged with the story! Of course you know who Lee Friggin' Strassberg is! lol. Listen: the same year Coppola directed this, he directed ANOTHER masterpiece: "The Conversation" with Gene Hackman. BOTH movies were nominated for Best Picture (this one won). Meanwhile, the following year, in 1975: Pacino and Cazale (Fredo) make "Dog Day Afternoon", directed by Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Network). MASTERPIECE of true crime, mind bogglingly great. Watch those, don't worry about the crappy third Godfather. Instead get blown away by what all these actors (and this director) were doing in the 70s, groundbreaking iconic movie after groundbreaking iconic movie. Coppola started the 70s writing "Patton", directed the two Godfathers, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now......plus produced George Lucas' first (and greatest!) hit: "American Graffiti"! that was his 70s! Thank you, Francis! lol. PS: The same year as Godfather Part 3, Brando and Bruno Kirby (young Clemenza) were in the hit comedy "The Freshman" which parodies his Godfather performance brilliantly. Andrew Bergman film, very funny. "Goodfellas" and "The Freshman" were the movies that made the third Godfather sucking not so painful, lol.

I've been waiting for a reaction to this film from you. You didn't disappoint. Great video!

Such a great reaction. Thank you! I love watching these blockbusters with you.

By far my favourite reactors on RU-vid. You both are so great, but in this movie (and the first) particularly were simply brilliant in your analysis throughout. The way you pay attention to every detail of dialogue, cinematography and script is marvellous. Especially as it pertains to truly appreciating Al Pacino's portrayal of Michael and all the subtleties in his performance, that in sum, inform us so much about who he is as a character and his role in this world. So astute and enjoyable! Bravo and keep up the excellent work!!

Absolutely love this reaction video, Im always tuned in !

One of the key things about Vito was that he lost everything at a young age and survived because of favors of people who nothing to gain - his family friends in Sicily who snuck him out of Corleone and put him on a ship to NY, the shopkeeper who gave him a job in NY. This taught him that if you help others they will be loyal to you in a way that is far better than paying them for loyalty. Tom, knew it though. He was taken off the streets by Don Vito and given a very good life and he was the most loyal of people to the Corleone family. Michael didn't operate this way and seemed to not appreciate Tom's loyalty at many times. Ironically, when it came time for Godfather III, Robert Duvall was a hold out. Tom may have been loyal but Duvall saw the only reason for making GFIII as making money and he demanded more of it than Coppola was willing to pay.

The scene in which Michael and his mother are in front of the fireplace and she tells him he can't lose his family: Francis Ford Coppola related that when his colleagues and family saw it, they told him he was getting carried away with darkness. The way they saw it, there was too little light -- he'd gone too far. Coppola agreed, but he liked it, so he left it in. I think the look that Frank Pentangeli's brother gave him said, "Don't do this. Remember the law of silence (omertà). Don't betray the padrone." When it was over, Tom said to him, "La famiglia sta posto, sta posto" (the family stays intact, stays intact") It was anything but. Pentangeli means Five Angels. Merle Johnson, Connie's fiancé at the beginning of the movie, was played by Troy Donahue, whose given name was Merle Johnson. I admire him, who played handsome hunks in previous movies, for playing a weak little leech. I recommend Part III -- the original, not the re-edited version. People put it down because Coppola drafted his then-teenage daughter Sofia to play Michael's daughter when the actress they had in mind had to back out. (Sofia herself didn't think she was very good.) I think it's good, though. You'll love all the scenes that were made in Sicily. They're not like Renaissance paintings or hand-colored photographs of the Eduard Steichen era or sepia-toned photos of the Photo-Secession movement -- just plain gorgeous.

I loved your reactions to these two movies, and I'm looking forward to Part 3. When you said that each movie provided context for each other, I couldn't agree more. I was actually noticing that during your reactions. For example, during the assassination attempt against Vito in the first movie, Fredo jumps out of the car to defend his father and drops his gun. Nobody but the camera saw that, but it adds to our assessment of him as incompetent. In the final scene of the second movie, we learn that it was Sonny who introduced Carlo to the family, providing additional context for Carlo's role in Sonny's death. Another parallel that really struck me was a theme in the first movie where both Sonny and Fredo made the mistake of speaking their mind in a meeting. Sonny openly disagrees with his dad about joining the drug trade, which is what convinces Solozzo to try to kill Vito and let Sonny take over. Then, the events of the second movie seem to cascade from the disagreement between Fredo and Michael in a similar meeting about the casinos. If Fredo had solidly backed Michael instead of siding with Mo Greene, I wonder if Roth would still have sensed an opportunity to divide them.

In 1965 Dr Zhivago won 5 Oscars. They included best screenplay, cinematography, and best score. Yet no one ever reacts to it. I would love for you guys to take it on.

Diane Keatons friends had an inside joke going where they would always close the door on her face

I'm excited to see when y'all react to the Godfather III!

An interesting theory about the Godfather movies is how the personality of Vito was split across his three sons. Even Vito knew his first two sons would make poor Dons and be unable to ensure the family's survival: Sonny being too impulsive and hot-headed and Fredo being to weak and gullible. It was ultimately Michael, who Vito didn't want in the family business, that had to carry the family forward even though he had his flaws. He was never loved nor respected like his father. Instead, Michael was feared because he was willing to do what was necessary to win; at any cost. Which made him extremely powerful but, as shown in the final scene, ultimately alone. A timeless allegory - Power cannot be shared.

I love these older movies that showcase Pacino’s acting as opposed to his flair. Michael, started out with a very blessed life and with all he did to get to the top, ended up very lonely and miserable after- pretty much the reverse of his father Vito’s. It’s so fun to watch reactors react to movies that we grew up watching pretty much yearly for decades now; especially us New Yorkers🥰 I lovingly say we cannot escape this culture. Thanks for the reaction!

Family is everything in mafia culture. A older brother showing up at the hearing , would shut his younger brother bc Mafia never squeals to law enforcement

A big reason why Godfather 2 worked so well with Godfather 1 is because Vito Corleone's backstory was told in the original Godfather novel by Mario Puzo that the first film was adapted from, but was left out of the first Godfather movie because the film was already long. So the screenwriters (Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola) decided to incorporate it into the second film. Also, I agree with you that it's pointless to rank the first and second films against each other. The same is true with other franchises where many people say #2 is better than #1, like Terminator/Terminator 2, Alien/Aliens, Star Wars 4/Star Wars 5. The second film has the luxury of building on the foundation of the first, and furthermore could not possibly have the same impact without the first one. The first one does all the heavy lifting of introducing us to the characters and world building and making us invested in them. Of course when the sequel stands on the shoulders of the original, it's going to see farther. But not if the original doesn't exist.

al pacino got nominated for best supporting actor in THE GODFATHER 1972 and marlon brando got an oscar for best actor.in THE GODFATHER PART 2 ,al pacino got nominated for best actor and robert deniro got an oscar for best supporting actor playing marlon brando as a young man.

I loved your reaction to the first movie and have been waiting for your reaction to Godfather 2. You are so entertaining and insightful. I thoroughly enjoy your reactions. Keep up the great work!

Fun Facts: 1. Mamma Corleone is/was in real life a famous singer during the filming of GF I & IV. 2. ‘Sonny’ (James Caan) actually makes a hidden cameo in this second film at the very beginning. He’s in the crowd at that outside honoring ceremony by the lake that Mike gave large donation at. He’s Balding at this point, they gave him black hair, Sun glasses and has a mustache, a cigarette in hand with a smile on his face). TimeStamp @9:05 Lol I remember a long time ago when I first watched pt2, I had to rewind a few times to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I never looked for proof other than what I saw with my eyes. (So maybe this is a fun ‘possible-fact’) lol 🍻

Oh shit. I was afraid you weren't getting to this. Awesome!

2 is greater than 1. The story telling, acting, and cinematography is superb. 1 sets the stage, 2 adds all the complexity and fleshes out the story the way 1 didn’t. Godfather 2 is considered the better film by critics, but it is also a personal opinion.

My parents saw this movie in the cinema and they brought home a program for the movie as one would a program from a theatrical stage show. I held onto that program (from NJ's Totowa Twin Cinemas) for decades. I wish I had that today. Many viewers rate this sequel higher than the original. That end flashback scene at the dinner table is perhaps the greatest ending for such a movie as it harkens back to the family before all the tragedies and losses and shows Michael to be his own agent divorced from them. The third and last movie of this trilogy is the lesser of the three but it certainly has its moments.

There's a quote in one of my favorite book series that made me think of Fredo : "Stupidity is not victimless." He might not have known but his stupidity isn't an excuse, it makes him too dangerous.

That Sicilian crimeboss probably had so many people knocked off that he didn't exactly recall Vito and his mother.

I'm not sure which I prefer myself, Part 1 or Part 2. I really love the story telling for Part 2, though. The parallels with what is usually dubbed as "The Rise of Vito Corleone" and "The Fall of Michael Corleone" really make the film work. It's my favorite aspect of Part 2. If you guys decide to watch Godfather 3 do know that it got a LOT of mixed opinions at it's initial release. It's not really well favored among major Godfather fans. I do believe, though, that there are currently 3 different versions of the film out...the Theatrical Version of course from 1990, the 1991 Version titled the "Final Director's Cut", and then there's the 30th Anniversary recut from 2020 which was given the title "CODA: The Death of Michael Corleone". I've only seen the 1991 Director's Cut and I can honestly say it's not as good as the first 2, but I still enjoyed it. I haven't seen the 2020 CODA recut as of yet, but Coppola has gone on record stating that this recut is the one he and Mario Puzo (the original book author) had originally envisioned, and that it "vindicates" its status in the Godfather trilogy. So, this may be something to keep in mind to determine which version y'all want to react to. I, personally, am excited to watch the CODA recut on my own, and hopefully soon! :)

I truly enjoy the length and depth of your reactions. The “look backs” at younger Vito were a great part of this movie combined with Deniro’s ltalian scenes showed how he had spent months learning and practicing the language of the period.