“The Godfather Collection” is a DVD set you can’t refuse.

What is there to say about “The Godfather” that hasn’t already been said? This epic tale about the Corleone family is one of cinema’s finest offerings. The film has everything you could possibly want from a movie. There are well rounded characters, a timeless score, a horse head scene, brilliant direction by Francis Ford Coppola, a look inside the world of the Mafia, intense drama, betrayal, and career best performances by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan. I could go on and on!

 

“The Godfather Part 2” is certainly one of the best sequels of all time. It’s a superbly constructed film with dual stories about a young Vito’s (played by Robert DeNiro) rise to power and Michael Corleone’s rise to power. The best aspect, however, has to be the tragic and heartbreaking scenes involving Fredo and the decline of the Corleone family.

 

“The Godfather Part 3” is disliked by many, but it does not deserve such hatred. Granted, the corporate subplot is kind of a bore and Sofia Coppola is utterly painful to watch as Michael’s daughter, but there is some intriguing characterization here. Personally, I liked the fact that we see a more human and fragile side of Michael after he was so cold in Part 2. I also quite liked the addition of Andy Garcia as Sonny’s bastard child Vincent. He was a memorable character and I would have liked to see more of his character had Coppola done a 4th film.  

 

Summary: If you don’t already own all three “Godfather” films on DVD, do not hesitate to buy this set. Everyone should own “The Godfather” trilogy.

I was not overly impressed with the audio or video. Granted, the widescreen picture quality is the best we’ve seen on DVD, but some scenes were fuzzy and the colors often looked faded. The Dolby digital 5.1 sounded a bit too little low, but overall it was generally a decent mix.

* Commentary by Francis Ford Coppola on “The Godfather 1-3.” Coppola discusses how the screenplay, editing, and even talks about his ideas for a about a 4th film at end of “The Godfather 3.” Fascinating stuff.
* “4 Short Films On The Godfather” (7:30) including a GF Vs. GF 2 debate.
* “The Godfather On The Red Carpet” (4:00)- Celebs talk about the film from the “Cloverfield” premiere.
* “Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather”- A 19 minute featurette on the cinematography.
* “…When The Shooting Stopped” (14:00)- Stories about editing complications for the first film.
* ‘The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t” (29:30)- A featurette on how “The Godfather” almost wasn’t brought to the big screen.
* “Godfather World” (11:00)- A featurette about “The Godfather’s” influence on television and cinema. A very fun bonus feature with great interviews with the likes of David Chase and Trey Parker.
* Additional scenes.
* Trailers.
* Photo and Rogues gallery.
* Award and nomination clips from the Oscars and so forth.
* Behind-the-scenes of the music, location shooting, and Coppola’s notebook on “The Godfather”.
* Storyboards, set footage, screenwriting and cinematography discussions on “The Godfather 2 and 3”.
* Text info. on Francis Ford Coppola, Mario Puzo, Gordon Willis, Nino Rota, Carmine Coppola and Dean Tavoularis.
* Family Tree picture.