There are few films in history that are as iconic as Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece The Godfather, so it comes as a surprise that Coppola was able to hit gold again with the 1974 follow up The Godfather Part II starring Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, Diane Keaton, Bruno Kirby, and John Cazale. Now the film is celebrating its 45th anniversary with an all-new Blu-ray release of both the original and The Godfather Part II thanks to Paramount Pictures.

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If you are one of the few that have never seen the film, The Godfather Part II follows the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family. This sequel / prequel tells the story of a young Vito Corleone growing up in Sicily and in 1910s New York; and follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s as he attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba. A lot of people feel that this sequel surpassed the original and while I love it I still love the original so much more. Where this one is a stronger overall film is the perfect balance between the story of the rise of Vito Corleone while furthering the story of Michael. Both of them bring their own tensions and intrigue right up until the end when it brings it all full circle to the perfect conclusion of the story. Both films work perfect as one complete story as opposed to two films and have even been released as such. This film cements the perfection that they both contain and will continue to go down in history as masterpieces.  

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I love everything about this sequel and this latest release looks great. It isn’t a special restoration or anything, but still looks excellent in hi-def. The overall quality of this release makes the film all the better as you revisit the brilliance of it all. I was hoping for more bonus features, but it only includes commentary from Coppla. This will likely keep the cost lower and in all reality this is worth buying for the film alone. If you have never seen it or just need to add it to your collection this 45th anniversary edition is the perfect chance to check out the easily one of the greatest films of all time.

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Grab your copy of The Godfather Part II: 45th Anniversary Edition available now from Paramount Home Entertainment.