This is an excellent film. That's all there is to it. Personally, I think it's more than a little better than the first movie (excellent film also). In the DVD commentary, Coppola himself says that this is at least as good as the first film and that this is where he wanted to end things. The acting here is phenomenal from every character and I think the best performance is perhaps from the actor of Don Fanucci. You just don't see movies like this made anymore. I think the reason I prefer this over the first has a lot to do with the pacing. This movie is a little more fun and the flashback/forward structure always keeps things moving, as well as providing a beautiful contrast between the two generations of dons. By the way, don't let anybody tell you the stories have nothing to do with each other. Its structure is what really makes this a memorable movie, and it actually works without being tacky, unlike Once Upon a Time in America.