The bulk of the criticism focuses on The Godfather 3's Sofia Coppola casting and performance, which is admittedly quite stilted at times. All those factors added up to the movie's regrettable reception as a lackluster ending to the saga.
'The Godfather Part III' received lukewarm reception for several reasons, including production troubles and the absence of an important character. Francis Ford Coppola's financial struggles led him to make another Godfather film despite not wanting to, contributing to the film's mixed reviews.
It could also be the odd inclusion of incest, the lazy writing of the script, the notoriously shoddy editing between scenes, or the fact that Coppola's heart simply wasn't in it, as he never wanted to make the film. Fans of the series ignore the third film for a reason, and each person has their own.
Sofia Coppola Criticized for Nepotism, Poor Acting
Essentially, critics pointed to nepotism being the sole reason that the inexperienced Coppola was cast in the part, with many believing that there were other actors who were far more deserving of the role.
Coppola himself is still around as of now to say that The Godfather Part 4 won't happen, but that won't be the case forever, and when he's gone, others will make the call on how The Godfather is handled as a piece of IP.
Did The Godfather Part 3 Deserve All the Criticism?
Why did it take 16 years for Godfather 3?
Production. Coppola felt that the first two films had told the complete Corleone saga, and did not want to make another installment in the series. Paramount Pictures nevertheless spent years trying to make another sequel set in the 1970s with another director.
Several actors from the first film did not return for the sequel. Marlon Brando initially agreed to return for the birthday flashback sequence, but the actor, feeling mistreated by the board at Paramount, failed to show up for the single day's shooting. Coppola then rewrote the scene that same day.
It does, however, help explain why he took issue with the character of Johnny Fontaine in The Godfather – a performer who only achieved stardom thanks to a Mob boss pulling strings. As The Offer illustrates, Sinatra took this insinuation as a personal insult.
Johnny Depp, who had traveled with her, called the studio to tell them Ryder wasn't feeling well and couldn't get out of bed, and after the production's doctor examined her, the doctor declared Ryder was suffering from nervous collapse and advised producers to send her home or she would suffer a complete breakdown.
What did Nicolas Cage have to do with Godfather 3?
Nicolas Cage pleaded with Francis Ford Coppola to play Vincent in The Godfather Part III, and he would've nailed it, but the role went to Andy Garcia. Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part III almost starred Nicolas Cage, which likely would have benefited the sequel and made it more memorable today.
Osvaldo "Ozzie" Altobello is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the 1990 film The Godfather Part III. In the film, he is portrayed by Eli Wallach.
The death of Mary is “Part III” 's climactic incident, its tragic culmination—but the role of Mary, played by Coppola's daughter, Sofia, who was nineteen years old and a nonprofessional actor, was the focus of critical hostility toward the movie at the time of its release.
Sofia's performance was described by critics as “flat, amateurish, and unconvincing”. The actor, who is now a successful filmmaker in her own right, had stepped in at the last minute to replace Winona Ryder in the role of Michael Corleone's daughter, Mary.
How old was Michael Corleone when he died in Godfather 3?
His place of birth is listed as Hell's Kitchen, New York. And even though his death comes in the third installment (which was released in 1990), the closing events take place in 1997. This means Michael is 77 years old at the time of his death.
Coda has an entirely new ending too. In the original cut, Michael retires to his Lake Tahoe estate after Mary's murder – then one day slumps over in his chair and dies. In the new cut, everything is set up the same; but Michael is denied an on-camera death.
De Niro had previously auditioned for the first installment, The Godfather (1972), but quit the project in favor of doing The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.
Why didn t they want Marlon Brando to play The Godfather?
Paramount initially didn't want Marlon Brando in The Godfather due to his reputation for being difficult on set and recent box office flops, but Francis Ford Coppola fought for him.
A staunch civil-rights advocate who refused to entertain in venues that discriminated against African Americans and Jews, Martin was fiercely proud of his Italian heritage. Indeed, he abhorred “The Godfather”: “I hated that movie, what it did to the Italian people. There was no call for that.”
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he was portrayed by Lenny Montana, an ex-wrestler and former bodyguard and enforcer for the Colombo crime family.
Sylvester Stallone missed out on the chance to be an extra in 'The Godfather'. The 'Rocky' star revealed that he asked Paramount if he could be in the background of the iconic wedding scene in Francis Ford Coppola's classic 1972 crime film but was snubbed because he wasn't "the type of guy".
Robert De Niro spent four months learning to speak the Sicilian dialect of Italian in order to play Vito Corleone. Nearly all of the dialogue that his character speaks in the film was in Sicilian. Originally, the actors in the flashback scenes wore pants with zippers.
Burt Reynolds was offered the role of Michael, but Marlon Brando threatened to quit if Reynolds was hired, so Reynolds turned down the role. Jack Nicholson was also offered the role, but turned it down as he felt that an Italian-American actor should play the role.
The studio had a laundry list of potential Vito Corleones ranging from Laurence Olivier to Ernest Borgnine, but the audacious Coppola remained unwavering in his quest to secure the 47-year-old actor. After much persistence, Paramount relented and agreed to take a chance on Brando.
