The Godfather Trilogy - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Godfather Trilogy



Movie:
4K Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


WARNING: THE SCORES ABOVE ARE A COMBINED SCORE FROM ALL THREE FILMS, THE INDIVIDUAL SCORES ARE CONTAINED BELOW IN THE INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS OF THE REVIEW

​

Movie
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the infamous mafia movie that started it all, Paramount has decided to re-release all 3 films (including the new cut of #3) in a big 4K boxset. Not only that, they have gotten a meticulous restoration and makes all 3 films look incredible, and under the supervision of Francis Ford Coppola himself, they look the best they have ever looked.

I actually chewed on how to present this review for about a week. At first I wanted to review each movie separately, but that didn’t set right with me, and I finally decided that reviewing this as one cohesive story was a much more accurate representation of Coppola’s trilogy. The Godfather is seen as the seminal mob movie that started the genre in the United States. It was a multi faceted masterpiece that portrayed the Italian Mafia Dons with a harsh light, and kick started Al Pacino’s career as a major movie star. The story focuses on Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, head of the Corleone crime family, and his youngest son, Michael (A baby faced Al Pacino). Michael has just returned home from World War II a war hero, and even though he has rejected the family “business”, he comes to see his sister Connie get married. However, after an assassination attempt on Don Corleone’s life, Michael convinces his brothers that HE should be the one to exact revenge on perpetrators.

What happens next is an epic fall from grace, as the white sheep of the family slowly falls down into the abyss that is the allure of power. What starts out as simple revenge transforms young Michael, as the avenging son consolidates his family power, and spirals downward into moral and ethical decay, becoming the very thing that he swore he would never be a part of.

The Godfather Part II is one of the rare moments when the sequel is better than the original. It almost never happens, but in rare circumstances the sequel actually supersedes what came before it, and The Godfather Part II is quite literally the definition of that oddity. In fact, there are two films that are the gold standard of that oddity, one being The Empire Strikes Back, and the second being this film. In fact, I’d say that The Godfather Part II is Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus. A gem that that is more intense, more vicious, and better acted than even the 1972 classic.

This time we get to see Michael Corleone as full Don of the Corleone crime family, and fully in his element. The story is multi faceted, showcasing Al Pacino as Don Michael Corleone and his bloody swath of domination, but also chronicles the rise of young Don Vito, played by a baby faced Robert Deniro. Coppola reassembles nearly the exact same cast as The Godfather, and manages to craft a story that simply is exquisite to behold. Deniro himself won an oscar for his role as Don Vito, and the film itself solidified itself as one of the best sequels ever made, winning 6 Oscars itself, including Best Picture in 1974.

The Godfather Part III is the film that really never should have been. I know it’s not an unpopular opinion, but The Godfather Part III is a generally terrible movie. A full 16 years past the sequel (and 18 years since the original), it had lost the spark from the 1970s Mafia movies. Al Pacino was no longer a sleek Don, but the harsh and rasping older man that we know today (It’s actually stunning to watch him in the first 2 and then compare him to #3. He was such an unassuming and normal speaking character only to turn into the rasping Pacino voice that we have known for the last 30 years or so). It didn’t help that Coppola put his daughter in the film with a bit of nepotism, and it’s not exactly a secret that she was absolutely HORRIBLE. In fact, that’s sort of the reason why Francis Ford Coppola went back to the drawing board and recut The Godfather Part III into The Godfather: The Death of Michael Corleone. He used extra scenes, and cut a lot of her out of the film in order to tighten up the runtime from nearly 3 hours, to 2 hours and 37 minutes (The Godfather Part III includes both the theatrical cut of 2 hours and 42 minutes, as well as the 1991 cut that was 2 hours and 50 minutes as well). It plays much better than the both of the 1990s cuts, but still, it’s simply a solid movie rather than anything even remotely on the same level as The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.




Rated R by the MPAA for violence nad Language




Video:

Looking at all 3 films together, they look strikingly cohesive, visually speaking. Not shocking considering The Godfather and The Godfather Part II were filmed just 2 years apart during the 1970s. However, even being 16 and 18 years later in 1990, The Godfather Part III looks similar (although a bit sharper and with less of an orange push in the reds). The movies are incredibly filmic, with a nice grain layer and fantastic detail levels. Fleshtones tend to be super warm (sometimes a bit orangey as mentioned above), and visible details are incredible. I did notice a little bit of print damage in #2, especially that scene where Vito and his mother come to beg Don Ciccio for Vito’s life. Part III is noticeably sharper though, but does suffer from a little bit of black crush. Not enough to cause a problem, but in the infamous final death scene of his daughter it was especially noticeable. Resolution of all three films is a dead ringer for being a winner, and outside of those few minor quirks I mentioned, all 3 films look amazing. Below is a press announcement from Paramount regarding the effort taken to restore these iconic films.

In preparation for the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company American Zoetrope undertook a painstaking restoration of all three films over the course of three years.
Every effort was made to create the finest possible presentation for today’s audiences who can watch the films using technology that has advanced dramatically since 2007 when the last restoration was completed by eminent film historian and preservationist Robert Harris. Using that work as a blueprint, the team spent thousands of hours to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films.

The monumental effort included the following:
• Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
• Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
• Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous color correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
• In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.
• All work was overseen by Coppola.





Audio:

While the original 2 films have a lossy Dolby Digital Mono original theatrical mix I opted to listen to the 5.1 mixes for this reviews. The tracks are the same as the older Blu-ray release, and still maintain a healthy sound to this day. They’re near perfect for their respective time periods, with great dialog and a haunting surround melody from the score. I will say this though, compared to modern mixes they ARE a slight bit harsh and tinny, but only mildly so. Bass is really good in the third movie (both iterations), and rather mild for the 1st and the 2nd (which is pretty typical of 1970s films). The films are extremely forward heavy by nature, but there is some nice hustle and bustle during Connie’s wedding, or from ambient city noises. All around good mixes that are still quite nice some 14 years after their Blu-ray introduction.








Extras:

NEW BONUS CONTENT:

• Introduction to The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola
• Full Circle: Preserving The Godfather—Paramount Pictures archivists detail the incredible restoration process with archival footage showing the evolution of the film through various home entertainment incarnations as picture and audio technologies make quantum leaps over the decades.
• Capturing the Corleones: Through the Lens of Photographer Steve Schapiro— In this reflective and frank discussion, special photographer Steve Schapiro shares his unique perspective and cherished memories as a witness to the making of this seminal film. Commentary on curated archival images makes for a fascinating, never-before-seen addition to the production’s history.
• The Godfather: Home Movies— An assortment of 8mm home movie footage shot in 1971 offers a candid glimpse into the production of The Godfather. Shot on location at the Norton family estate on Staten Island’s Emerson Hill, this is the first time it’s been made available to the public.
• Restoration Comparisons— Before and after highlights showcase extensive picture quality improvements to The Godfather.

LEGACY BONUS CONTENT:

• The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t
• Godfather World
• Emulsional Rescue—Revealing The Godfather
• …when the shooting stopped
• The Godfather on the Red Carpet
• Four Short Films on The Godfather

The Godfather vs. The Godfather: Part II

• Cannoli
• Riffing on the Riffing
• Clemenza
• The Family Tree
• Crime Organization Chart
• Connie and Carlo’s Wedding Album
• 2008 Credits
• Behind the Scenes
• A Look Inside
• On Location
• Francis Ford Coppola’s Notebook
• Music of The Godfather
• Nino Rota
• Carmine Coppola
• Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
• Gordon Willis on Cinematography
• Storyboards – The Godfather: Part II
• Storyboards – The Godfather: Part III
• The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
• Additional Scenes
• Galleries
• Trailers
• Acclaim & Response
• Additional Material
• The Filmmakers
• The Godfather: Part III—newly remastered and restored versions of the original theatrical cut and Coppola’s 1991 cut (note: these are exclusive to the 4K Ultra HD Collections)

Final Score: ​

The set comes in a nice snazzy boxset with cardboard flip cases for each film. Sadly we get the same “no Blu-ray” included like most new Paramount releases, so those of you wanting a combo pack will be a bit disappointed. However, it includes all the extras from the Blu-ray set PLUS a handful of new extras. The boxset itself is a bit flimsy (though it is nicely embossed), but nothing that will make you shocked or horrified. It just isn’t as heavy duty as the big massive Deluxe edition that came out on the same day. All in all, this is fantastic set with great extras, stunning new video restorations, and the same excellent audio tracks from the Blu-ray. Well Worth getting in my humble opinion.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert DeNiro, Robert DuVall, Diane Keaton, Bridget Fonda
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Written by: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola,
Aspect Ratio: 1.85.1 HEVC
Audio:
The Godfather: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese DD 5.1, English DD Mono (Original), French, Japanese DD 2.0
The Godfather Part II: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English DD Mono (Original), Spanish, French, Japanese DD 5.1, French, Japanese DD 2.0
The Godfather Part III: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, German, Spanish, Spanish (casitilian), French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian DD 5.1
The Godfather: The Death of Michael Corleone: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Czech, German, Spanish, Spanish (castilian), French, Italian, Japanse, Portuguese, Russian DD 5.1, Polish DD 2.0
Subtitles:
The Godfather: English, English SDH, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
The Godfather Part II: English, English SDH, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
The Godfather Part III: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai
The Godfather: The Death of Michael Corleone: English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Cantonese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 537 Minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: November 22nd, 2022

Recommendation: Must Own Set

​

 

[Epoxy1]

Kudo's to Paramount on this restoration. Amazing doesn't begin to describe how these films look in 4K.

 

[Michael Scott]

Kudo's to Paramount on this restoration. Amazing doesn't begin to describe how these films look in 4K.

agreed, these are incredible.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Purchased. Great review, as always, Mike!

 

[JStewart]

Purchased as a b’day gift for Mrs. JStewart as they are among her personal favorites.
We watched one each day starting last Friday. I must say, after watching bits and pieces countless times on countless TV showings, these were a real treat to sit and enjoy all the way through!