Friend and I were talking. I say Godfather 2 > Goodfellas > Godfather.

He thinks I'm nuts. Godfather was great, but way too slow.

Godfather 2 > Godfather > Goodfellas but they're all great movies.

The Untouchables
Pulp Fiction
The Departed

Also deserving mention:
Casino
Donnie brasco
reservoir dogs

Godfather
Godfather 2
Goodfellas
Casino

1. Godfather 2
2. Godfather
3. Goodfellas
4. Pulp Fiction
5. Bonnie and Clyde if counts

Add Donnie Brasco, a Bronx Tale, and Carlitos Way to the list.

Goodfellas > Godfather > Godfather 2. I love all 3 films but I like the POV from the small time (non-made) gangsters.

Plus, I have never seen a better supporting actor than Joe Pesci. Except maybe Heath Ledger.

Johnny Dangerously. All Hail Michael Keaton. EOT.

I thought Bronx Tale left a lot to be desired

Godfather
Goodfellas
Donnie Brasco
Casino
Godfather 2
The Untouchables
Bugsy
A Bronx Tale

This is a tough one. You could make a legit argument for Godfather 1, 2 or Goodfellas. I've always preferred Goodfellas though. A bit more real, to me at least.

No love for American Gangster?

"My man"

I would have said Godfather 2 originally, but over time I have come around to the viewpoint that GoodFellas is a better film. I'm not sure which Godfather I prefer at this point.

Agree that Donnie Brasco is criminally underrated--that scene at the end where Lefty is watching the cheetah chasing the antelope, "If Donnie calls, tell him if it had to be anybody, I'm glad it was him"--best scene in any Mafia picture.

Donnie Brasco is easily the most underrated of them all. Great great film. My rankings:

The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Goodfellas
Donnie Brasco
Casino
Untouchables
Bronx Tale

Crazy that DeNiro was in 4 of those

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People who say Godfather Part 2 is better than the Godfather are so full of ****.

I enjoy the Godfather Part 2, but The Godfather was a masterpiece. Seeing Michael's slow evolution throughout the movie is fantastic. I don't know... just always though people who say Part 2 was better were just trying to agree with someone or something...

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People that get their panties in a wad over opinions on movies are even more full of **** than those that like Godfather 2 more than the first.

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Yeah... let me tell ya... my panties are all up in a wad...

don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight...

lol.

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Godfather
Godfather 2
Goodfellas
Casino

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Indeed.

Goodfellas and Godfather are my favorites. Godfather Part II is right behind them. I love Mob movies but only lasted about 15 minutes watching Mobsters.

Once Upon A Time in America

Add Mean Streets to the list

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Godfather
Godfather 2
Goodfellas
Casino

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Indeed.

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People are saying Donnie Brasco is underrated. And I tend to agree. But I think Casino is, too.

I think too many people think it's just repetitive of Goodfellas.

1. Godfather
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Casino
4. Godfather 2
5. Goodfellas
6. Air Bud Golden Receiver

Also need to mention a Millers crossing. And there are a couple of old james Cagney movies that deserve mention. They're a different style. But damn good.

Based on rewatchability


Goodfellas and Casino.


I can watch those two again and again.

In terms of plain ole entertainment and watchability, Goodfellas is the best. Every single time it comes on cable, I can't help but watch it.

I love the Godfather movies, but damn, I have to be in the mood to sit down and devote an afternoon to watching one.

Godfather is in a class by itself, in my opinion. A few things make me like it much better than Part II.

1. In The Godfather, Michael is a clear protagonist. Even though he is a bad guy he is still clearly the "good guy" of the story. The Godfather is about his evolution and the fulfillment of his destiny, while in Part II you watch the painful, slow destruction of every relationship he has. I like having someone to root for and in Part II, I dont feel like that's possible. Admittedly I am not a big anti-hero guy and I know lots of people love that; just not my cup of tea personally. Basically, I appreciate Part II as a beautiful work of art but I have never particularly ENJOYED it. And as far as being a work of art, I think Part II is on par with The Godfather but I don't think it surpasses it at all.

2. I think Part II lacks character development for much of the supporting cast. I feel like the character development in The Godfather is just about perfect. Every character who plays an important role is introduced in a logical way, and the ones who are big time players you spend a good bit of time with them. In Part II, I always felt like I never really got to know some of the characters. Probably the best way for me to explain this is that when I saw The Godfather the first time, I always knew who everybody was while in Part II there were several "wait a second, who is that?" moments.

3. Finally, the biggest reason I like The Godfather better is because I think the plot is very easy to follow. You have a pretty basic story structure, and even though there are a couple of distinct acts you have a very simple "here is the problem, the characters are seeking a solution" structure to everything and the characters are only really dealing with one major problem at a time. In Part II, the Michael storyline has a whole lot of moving parts and there is a lot going on. The story bounces back and forth between Nevada, Cuba, and New York. Kinda like the characters issue, there were lots of times where I had to really, really focus on what was going on and occasionally there were "wait a second, what's happening?" moments. And I'm not talking about the flashback Vito storyline. I always thought that was pretty easy to follow.


TLDR: I feel like The Godfather does everything just as well or better than The Godfather Part II, but it does it with a much simpler story. That to me makes it a much better and enjoyable movie.

I have never seen a Godfather movie

I highly recommend The Godfather and Part II. Part III isn't very good but not quite as awful as many would tell you.

Do your best to ignore the hype and watch them both. To many they are a couple of the greatest movies ever made, but they aren't everybody's cup of tea.

Another vote for Once Upon a Time in America. Not necessarily "the best" but certainly on the list.

p.s. The beach vacation scene was filmed at the "pink palace on the gulf", the Don Cesar hotel on St. Petersburg Beach, FL. Have been there many times.

Godfather I will always be my top choice, if only because nothing in the second movie can top the baptism scene...although the conversation between Tom Hagen and the Senator about the dead hooker comes very close.

Casino is actually my third pick behind the first two Godfather movies. Coked-out Sharon Stone makes that movie. And the cornfield scene, of course.

Godfather II
Godfather
Pulp Fiction
Goodfellas
Casino

Brian, you are obviously full of **** for thinking Godfather II is better than Godfather.