I thought Godfather III was as terrible as they said.
I didn’t see it when it was first originally released. I saw it a couple years or so after. I just knew the critics were correct when I saw the very opening of the movie. It started with flashback scenes from the first 2 Godfather films. A whole 15 minutes worth.
They seemed to realize this was an artistic mistake when they re-edited the film (Coda) and the flashback scenes were removed.
And that helicopter assassination attempt. Typically overblown Hollywood version of a mob hit. The miscasting of Coppola’s daughter. Evidently this came about because the original actress hired for this role, Winona Ryder, a much better actress, had to pull out at the last minute. Coppola defending his decision to cast his daughter was because it was difficult to find a replacement at the last minute. Hollywood is filled to the brim with thousands of out of work actresses who would have jumped at the chance to play a lead in a Coppola film.
I agree with you the most troubling problem with the script was the helicopter scene.
It didn’t fit the literacy that characterized the first two.
In reflection it seems they were trying to get the same effect of Michael in grave danger and fleeing Cuba when Batista fell.
It didn’t work.
As far as the criticism of casting Coppola’s daughter, I always thought that was a bit sexist.
She may not been an Italian or a Sicilian beauty as was Michael’s first wife, but she like Talia Shire was authentic Italian.
In that vein, I thought Andy Garcia was miscast as he just didn’t have that ethnic Italian gangster flavor as did the casting of the Godfathers or Scorsese’s mob films or the Sopranos for that fact.
But in fairness James Caan was not Italian either and that casting was spot on.