You have to hand it to Coppola; he is without doubt one of the finest directors/screenwriters of the 20 the Century. we know about his Godfather contributions, but when you also consider Patton, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now & RumpleFish, we have to appreciate what a superb writer he really is.

But The Godfather films will be his most-remembered for all the right reasons, and deservedly so, especially working in collaboration with Mario Puzo, one of best authors of the time.

Coppola is never a man who tries to cut us short with a dumbed-down version of any classic novel, especially Puzo's that have a breadth & majestic intensity all of their own. Coppola insists on giving us literally every element from book to film - boring, irrelevant bits as well. And yet those very same "boring bits" work so well in the hands of the Master that it gives the movie (any of his movies in fact) a more intelligent & rounded gloss.

I must admit to preferring G2 to the original because it offered so much richness & character-defining elements than the first. Although Brando was very good & suitably threatening in the first, he would also bring the pace of the film down to a stroll bringing the other characters down with him.

However, with the "unknown" De Niro playing the young Vito in G2 we get to see a revolution in his character development, in fact all the main characters including Pacino's, Keaton's & Duvell's are given greater scope to expand on their originals.

Special mention must go to Robert Duvell, probably one of the most outrageously under-rated stars of our time, who possesses more talent in one those "Mona Lisa" like smirks than a lot of so-called big A1 stars of today!

I truly loved G2, more so in the cinema than on video because an epic "Italian opera" such as this deserves room to breath and a 29" TV screen just doesn't cut it.

G2 is better than the first, although it is just as dependent on it in order to build on the original's foundation. G2 is more intelligent to look at, the script sparkles, the violence is choreographed & not overdone; the acting is memorable and Coppola' talented hand at the tiller is there for all to see & aspire too.

*****/*****