n better alternative to legitimate government. In the second movie, Coppola intended to use the story of the first part to paint more realistic and, consequently, much darker picture. Instant financial success did not follow “The Godfather Part Two” as it did the first movie. The reason was created due to the fact that the second movie represented one of the examples of the now generally despised practice in modern Hollywood, making sequels out of the successful, great movies. Such practice earned the utter disdain of contemporary critics because the sequels almost always fail to meet the standards of its predecessors, and, more often than not, succeed only in tarnishing their great memory. Therefore audiences were wary of attending the second movie, fearing it would not live up to their expectations. The box office numbers reflect this; the second movie earned only $57.3 million. Nevertheless, other factors contribute to the blockbuster status of the movie.“The Godfather Part 2” is considered to be the finest sequel ever made and is arguably a finer film than the original Godfather. The film is divided into two main parts, the story of a young Vito Corleone and the rise to power of Michael as the head of the family. The film expands upon the original movie and brings us into the family's activities in Nevada, Florida and Havana. Set in the 1950s, the story picks up soon after "The Godfather" left off: Michael Corleone has moved some operations to Las Vegas, but remains involved in New York organized crime. He also seeks to expand operations to pre-Castro Cuba, in partnership with aging, chronically ill Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg). He also has to defend himself against congressional hearings into his criminal activities. As in the first film, Michael ruthlessly punishes those who oppose or betray the 'family' (i.e. himself). Although his success continues, he also becomes ever more cold and distant: nearly a perso...
