Agree that Pacino had lost the earlier magic but that earlier edge was brought out by better screenwriters and direction.
Although Coppola directed Part III, he was wracked with health problems and let others fill in for him. I don’t think he put the energy for perfecting the production as had the previous two. There was a much longer time span between Parts II and III. The brand had become worn.
The screenplay was credited to Mario Puzo who wrote the underlying novels but in reality there were several hands in the screenwriting. Hollywood allows only one or two to be credited.
Puzo was a novelist, not a screenwriter so he needed a screenwriter to bring out the story line. For Parts I and II, the real screenwriter was Robert Towne who is a legend in Hollywood history. He was the type of screenwriter that could take a B story line and take it past A+. He was really good. He got a callout for a tahnk you at the Academy Awards but could not be credited because only one could be credited and that had to be Puzo. Not knocking Puzo, he was an excellent novelist but he was only so-so as a screenwriter.
The screenwriter for Part III wasn’t in the same league as Robert Towne but to be fair wasn’t allowed to bring in some of the better parts of the story that were left out. Coppola was said to be very disappointed that Robert Duvall had turned down a continued role as Tom Hagen as Director of Corleone Charities.
I think Coppola couldn’t get it done and he should have abandoned it but was pressured to do it. He couldn’t gey the people he needed and likely he knew that if he didn’t do it then, it would never be done as the actors were aging.
The film grossed a lot at opening but faded quickly. The successful opening was because viewers expectations were based on Parts I and II.
I would tell someone who has never seen the trilogy to see Parts I and II only.
3 ends in the 70s? I would like to see the continuing story brought up to date. Garcia is still alive and they can still do the flash backs to the young sonny as Coppola planned.
maybe Sophia and her father working together on IV. Then in 20 years give us Godmother with maybe an Italian actress in the lead. Use historical events of the time and i creased tech
I have an outline for Godmother.