[The Godfather, Part II] strikes me as better than its predecessor, though this is lukewarm praise at best….

Better an honest gangster than a crooked politician, [The Godfather, Part II] is saying, as if those were the only possible choices.

Repellent as these stances are, they at least occupy the mind that tries to oppose them. There was nothing to think about in The Godfather except when, of what sort, and how big the next bloodletting will be. Here there is less bloodshed, more scheming and counter-scheming, which is more interesting. (p. 31)

However, the final argument in favor of Part II is that it is better made, of sounder workmanship. Coppola is getting to be a more competent director: A scene here is allowed more leisure and breathing space, is less like a guided missile trained with dumb, mechanical determinism to explode on a specific target. Thus the...