This tape opens with a trail for Eurovision Young Dancer of the Year, featuring Peter Schaufuss.
Then, The Godfather Part II. Oh joy, we get prequel material. That’s always great.
It’s not a good start for Don Vito, as after his father is killed, so is his brother. Then his mother goes to the mafia boss Don Ciccio and begs for Vito to be spared. He says no, the mother is killed and Vito escapes, eventually making it to America.
The film flips between ‘present day’ Michael (that’s still in the 50s, I think) and young Vito. The present day stuff starts with another family party. Lack of ideas much?
Young Vito grows up a bit and now he’s Robert De Niro.
One of his friends is Bruno Kirby.
In the present day, one of Michael’s enemies, Hyman Roth, is played by legendary acting teacher Lee Strasberg. Is it because I know this that he doesn’t seem like a very good actor?
Michael’s brother Fredo has a bigger role in this film. He turns out to be the one who’s been betraying the family, and he’s eventually bumped off in a boat. John Cazale died very young, he only appeared in five films before he died, and every one of those films was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
I know it’s heresy, but I really don’t like these films. I lose track of which identical looking tough guy is bumping off which other identical tough guy. To be fair, I have a similar problem sometimes with Game of Thrones, but at least they have dragons occasionally. And at least there’s a couple of characters in that I can actually like. The only person I like in this movie is Diane Keaton as Kay, Michael’s wife, who tells him she had an abortion rather than bring another of his sons into the world.
BBC Genome: BBC Two – 15th June 1985 – 21:00
The tape ends right after the movie.
VHiStory 
Don’t worry about it, they aren’t to my taste either. It’s a cast filled with future embarrassments outside of Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton (outside of possibly the WASPiest movie ever, “Father of the Bride.”).
What?! Don’t like The Official Greatest Sequel Ever Made ™?! I kind of know what you mean. While I enjoy the first one fair enough, this one does seem like a contractual obligation for everyone, and doesn’t distinguish itself from it predecessor for me. It also lacks a great, eccentric performance from Brando to hold it together, everyone’s so darn miserable here.
Lee Strasberg was excellent in Going in Style, if it’s any consolation.
Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando in the same movie!