The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

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Alain E Clearly the opinions are divided on this. I don’t claim to remember the original version. I am not sure if the image has been restored but it is now visually impeccable with deep reds and browns. The story is a real tragedy set among twentieth century Italian Americans. Some random observations: don’t expect much if you appear in your father’s movie, who in an effort to show no nepotism buries your credit in the "also acted", although Sofia Coppola is very good playing a major part. Bridget Fonda is credited ahead of her and I could not tell you what character she played. If you wear glasses, now you know that someone could break the frame and slice your carotid artery. Watched with ads on Pluto. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/25 Full Review Gregory S I thought it was good, definitely not great compared to the first two. Every time Coppola's daughter came on it ruined it for me. She is a terrible actress and her chemistry with everyone was horrible. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/11/25 Full Review Adam M I just watched THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE, and am profoundly disappointed. Mind you, I’m one of the few who truly loved GODFATHER III when it was released on Xmas 1990. It’s hard to describe just how anticipated the film was back then, and how widely debated it was among critics and fans at the time. The film had some glowing reviews, as well as absolutely damning. But even the film’s champions agreed that it was easily the least of the trilogy. Then again, what other films within the last 30 years could possibly match the status of either GODFATHER I or II? If pressed, I might suggest SCHINDLER’S LIST or CHILDREN OF MEN…but even those incredible films can’t quite compare to the social impact or iconic status Coppola's first two mob epics had. They captivated America. In the 30 years since GODFATHER III’s release, time has not been kind to the film, as its reputation seems to have diminished exponentially with each passing year. My feelings are that he film has some glaring flaws, but on the whole, I found it to be emotionally powerful, and felt it was a generally worthy ending to the series. It doesn’t match the greatness of its predecessors, but it had moments of greatness – and brilliance. Think of it as a shiny gold Cadillac, but with a few unsightly scratches. And now we have “CODA” -- a new cut that apparently satisfied Coppola’s post-partum creative tinkerings. Some scenes have been shifted around, while others trimmed or omitted altogether. These might help to move things along at a somewhat faster pace, and arguably give more focus. In one or two instances, the minor trimmings make sense…but all too often the new cuts are awkwardly done. And in one case, devastatingly so. (More on that later.) Let me come out and say it: “CODA” does not improve “III”, nor does it offer anything new. Those who understandably took issue with Sofia Coppola’s acting won’t find any alternate takes or redubbed lines that improve her performance. Nor have the film’s most awkward and clumsily written scenes been modified. Coppola’s edits have, instead, merely reworked a lot of the things that were already there. At best, the changes are understandable. At worst, they destroy the movie. And so come my greatest caveat: the re-edit of the film’s ending. (SPOLIERS) That Michael Corleone’s final moment of death has been excised is not so much a problem, though it’s followed by a rather convoluted title card that is completely unnecessary. The unforgivable sin here is the garish cut made to the beautiful montage leading up to the reveal of Michael as an old man. After Mary’s death in the original “III”, we see flashbacks – of Michael dancing with Mary, then with his first wife Apollonia, and then with his second wife Kay – all beautifully intercut to the music beats of the INTERMEZZO. Whereas in “CODA”, both the montage and music are trimmed, leaving us with a sloppy, abrupt edit that robs the entire ending of its emotional power. No doubt a number of people will watch “CODA”, but it will not convert any of the original film’s (many) detractors. If anything, “CODA” should be viewed as a mere curiosity, or academic supplement, to “III”. At best, I hope it rekindles interest in the film’s previous extended cut, and have people realize that it was, warts and all, a pretty damn good film to start with. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/13/25 Full Review Henry Louis R Two of the biggest problems with Part III are 1) the scenes are literally out of order, making the plot unnecessarily convoluted & 2) the screenplay is just not up to the standard set in the first two films. Coda fixes the first problem but cannot fix the latter. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/16/25 Full Review Garrett B A well made conclusion to the Godfather Trilogy. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/16/25 Full Review Richard V While not the best in the series. It’s It’s still worth watching and it stands alone as a great movie all by itself. Some of the casting calls a questionable but it’s still delivers the conclusion to the story that we love in the end. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/04/25 Full Review Read all reviews

The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

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