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The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset (The Godfather / The Godfather Part II / The Godfather Part III) [Blu-ray]x$58.99
  (56 reviews)
Best Price: $58.99
THE GODFATHER: Popularly viewed as one of the best American films ever made, the multi-generational crime saga The Godfather (1972) is a touchstone of cinema: one of the most widely imitated, quoted, and lampooned movies of all time. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino star as Vito Corleone and his youngest son, Michael, respectively. It is the late 1940s in New York and Corleone is, in the parlance of organized crime, a "godfather" or "don," the head of a Mafia family. Michael, a free thinker who defied his father by enlisting in the Marines to fight in World War II, has returned a captain and a war hero. Having long ago rejected the family business, Michael shows up at the wedding of his sister, Connie (Talia Shire), with his non-Italian girlfriend, Kay (Diane Keaton), who learns for the first time about the family "business." A few months later at Christmas time, the don barely survives being shot by gunmen in the employ of a drug-trafficking rival whose request for aid from the Corleones' political connections was rejected. After saving his father from a second assassination attempt, Michael persuades his hotheaded eldest brother, Sonny (James Caan), and family advisors Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) and Sal Tessio (Abe Vigoda) that he should be the one to exact revenge on the men responsible. After murdering a corrupt police captain and the drug trafficker, Michael hides out in Sicily while a gang war erupts at home. Falling in love with a local girl, Michael marries her, but she is later slain by Corleone enemies in an attempt on Michael's life. Sonny is also butchered, having been betrayed by Connie's husband. As Michael returns home and convinces Kay to marry him, his father recovers and makes peace with his rivals, realizing that another powerful don was pulling the strings behind the narcotics endeavor that began the gang warfare. Once Michael has been groomed as the new don, he leads the family to a new era of prosperity, then launches a campaign of murderous revenge against those who once tried to wipe out the Corleones, consolidating his family's power and completing his own moral downfall. Nominated for 11 Academy Awards and winning for Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando), and Best Adapted Screenplay, The Godfather was followed by a pair of sequels. THE GODFATHER PART II: This brilliant companion piece to the original The Godfather continues the saga of two generations of successive power within the Corleone family. Coppola tells two stories in Part II: the roots and rise of a young Don Vito, played with uncanny ability by Robert De Niro, and the ascension of Michael (Al Pacino) as the new Don. Reassembling many of the talents who helped make The Godfather, Coppola has produced a movie of staggering magnitude and vision, and undeniably the best sequel ever made. Robert De Niro won an Oscar®; the film received six Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1974. THE GODFATHER PART III: One of the greatest sagas in movie history continues! In this third film in the epic Corleone trilogy, Al Pacino reprises the role of powerful family leader Michael Corleone. Now in his 60's, Michael is dominated by two passions: freeing his family from crime and finding a suitable successor. That successor could be fiery Vincent (Andy Garcia)... but he may also be the spark that turns Michael's hope of business legitimacy into an inferno of mob violence. Francis Ford Coppola directs Pacino, Garcia, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Eli Wallach, Sofia Coppola, Joe Montegna and others in this exciting, long-awaited film that masterfully explores the themes of power, tradition, revenge and love. Seven Academy Award® nominations, including Best Picture.
On the DVD People used to say this was Frank Sinatra's world, and the rest of us just lived in it. After watching the multiple special features in the box set The Godfather - Coppola Restoration, one might conclude it's actually time for a cultural and historical revision: This is the Corleone family's world. The rest of us better tread lightly. Actually, the point of the half-dozen or so features crammed onto a disc accompanying the beautifully restored The Godfather, The Godfather II and The Godfather III, is that The Godfather movies have penetrated popular culture in such a deep and meaningful way that they are second-nature to everything. David Chase, creator of and writer on The Sopranos, for example, describes in the featurette "Godfather World" that his hit HBO series was intended to be the story of the first generation of mobsters actually influenced by Francis Ford Coppola's hit trilogy. Joe Mantegna calls the three films "the Italian Star Wars." (Mantegna co-stars in The Godfather III.) Alec Baldwin says no matter what one is doing, one is compelled to stop and watch the films if they're on television. Richard Belzer calls the films "a religion." And so on. A number of people similarly testify in "Godfather World" to the importance and ubiquitousness of The Godfather and its sequels in American life. There's no point in arguing, so its best to move on to the other featurettes, including "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't," reviewing in detail much of what has been said about Paramount's mistreatment of Coppola, about casting fights (Steve McQueen as Michael?), about the studio's assumption they were getting a quick-and-dirty B-movie, and about producer Robert Evans' determination to keep his choice of director and unlikely actors under his wing. Fresh information within the special features, however, begins with "… When the Shooting Stopped," a fine study of post-production on The Godfather, with several surprising and fascinating facts. Among emerging details is an explanation of why Michael Corleone's scream toward the end of The Godfather III is silenced out. (Hint: it was meant to be the inverse of a sound effect in the first movie.) "Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather" talks about the painstaking work of restoring the first two films, beginning with a phone call from Coppola to Steven Spielberg (after the latter's DreamWorks studio became part of the Viacom family) asking if he'd request money from Paramount for restoration work. "The Godfather On the Red Carpet is a negligible series of fawning statements about the movie from hot young actors, while "Four Short Films" are brief and enjoyable takes on different aspects of The Godfather's impact on modern living. --Tom Keogh
Stills from The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset (Click for larger image)
MPN: PARBR138644 - UPC: 097361386447
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Customer Reviews
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A faithful restoration of the originals
By AWXBY70IZVIML on 2008-09-23
For those crying for the "Godfather Saga"/"Godfather Epic" versions, you are missing the point. Restoration expert Robert Harris (and countless others) worked for over a year from the best available print materials (as the original negatives are badly damaged and faded) to restore the first and second films to their original theatrical glory, which is something these iconic films of American Cinema deserve. That is the point of restoration.
If you are looking for a "wow" disc to show off your Blu-ray home theater sound and video, this is not it. If you are looking to experience modern American Gangster cinema in its 1970's glory, this is as close as you are ever likely to get, muted sepia-esque color, film grain and all.
These were not done exclusively for the home market. The priority was that they were restored for theatres, because that is where they would be judged the most critically, and all indications are that they do not disappoint. Never watch these films in your living room with the lights on. Watch them like you do in the theater, lights out, to appreciate the effort that went into these films.
not overwhelmed
By A309INQI4VP1O7 on 2008-09-29
I watched The Godfather Part I on Blu Ray, from Netflix, side by side, against the standard DVD, which I already owned. The Blu Ray was played on a Panasonic machine, and the standard was played on a Toshiba HD machine, and so was upconverted. Both were watched on a Sharp Aquos 40 inch, and the input was simply switched back and forth to access one movie or the other. They were synchronized to play the same scenes side by side. And I have to say that I just don't understand the RAVE reviews amongst the videophile crowd, who seem to feel that the Coppola restoration provides levels of artistic fidelity hitherto unknown to mortal man. The fact is that some scenes were better on the Blu Ray (and as one reviewer on Amazon pointed out, very HD-like), and some scenes actually were better on the standard. In addition, there was a kind of hyper-contrast and orange-ness to everything on the Blu Ray, that not everyone is going to like. As for me, I wanted to like the Blu Ray better; I am something of a collector, and wanted an excuse to make the purchase, but in the end, I don't think that I will. For those who must, it won't be the worst investment you've ever made, to be sure, but please, let's stop with the hyperbole, already!
An offer you can't refuse--"The Godfather" restored for Blu-ray (and DVD) looks and sounds terrific-Doesn't include TV version
By AQP1VPK16SVWM on 2008-09-24
NOTE: Opinions vary but MY review is designed to help those who haven't purchased the product decide whether or not they want to. If you disagree, write a review--the comments section IS for that but not the voting system.
A marvelous restoration job, "The Godfather-The Coppola Restoration Gif Set" includes all three original films as they were presented theatrical. It doesn't have the version that Coppola cut for TV and presented in chronological order. THe first two films are masterpieces and while the third is severely flawed, it does have its moments.
Keep in mind that these were restored for theatrical showings NOT for the home video market and, as such, these probably aren't the best Blu-rays to use to show off your home video system. Some people will no doubt be disappointed but, quite frankly, these films have never looked this good before on home video. Is this a big step up from the DVDs? Yes and no. The Blu-ray does provide better resolution but keep in mind it also shows the flaws inherent in the original films (and some people will regard the grainy images as being a flaw).
First keep in mind that "The Godfather" was meant to look grainy so those of you who hate grain will probably wonder why they didn't eliminate it. That's because to do so would have required altering the look of the film not restoring it and the usual result of eliminating film grain is that you lose detail. The result also makes it look like the actors are walking wax dummies. Some scenes are much grainer than others but that's the way the film was meant to look.
According to Harris in an article at American Cinematographer, the original film was in extremely bad shape and, in some instances, frames from outtakes had to be subsituted because damage had crept into the frame area of the film.
"The Godfather Part II" was in better shape for a variety of reasons and didn't require quite as much work on it as the first film.
"The Godfather Part III" since it used different development techniques from the first three (and for other reasons you can read at the American Cinematographer website)and only required Harris to match the black levels and make sure the color scheme was done correctly.
Robert Harris has done a marvelous job on the restoration of the film. Colors are bolder than before with nice crisp images as cinematographer Gordon Willis originally shot the film. While the DVD looks terrific, the Blu-ray looks positively stunning. Does it look like a film released last year? No, of course not that would be impossible but Harris working with Coppola and Willis has brought the film into the 21st century without overprocessing the image (like the recent Blu-ray "Patton")and staying true to the original look of the original film elements if they were in pristine condition.
All of the previous extras from the boxed set have been ported over in HD along with some new extras including "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" documenting the difficult birth of the film from Paramount asking Puzo to initially change the period setting to 1970's Los Angeles to the constant threat of Coppola being fired during the shooting of the film. "When the Shooting Stops" covers the post-production efforts of editing and scoring the film.
THe humorous "Godfather World" has famous directors illustrated the cultural impact of the film and features bits and pieces from "The Simpsons" to "South Park"."Emulsion Rescue documents Robert Harris' restoration efforts of the aging film elements. "Four Short FIlms of "The Godfather" is amusing as well.
The 12 page booklet included with the Blu-ray was clearly designed for the DVD because it's much too large to fit in the Blu-ray holder (it's glued to the outside packaging). It's odd to design the booklet like this as you'll have to either trim it down to fit inside, slide it in where it might possible become creased or store it separately to prevent wear and tear. It has a bit of info on the Oscars for the films and the credits. It's an odd extra to include because it doesn't have anything truly essential NOT included on the Blu-ray or DVD boxed set.
I'd highly recommend this compelling saga on Blu-ray and DVD. It's a huge improvement on the previous set, has new and previously released extras (including Coppola's often blunt commentary tracks)and looks terrific. For those looking for the TV version that ran in chronological order just be aware it's not here as part of this set although many of the deleted scenes used to assemble that one are included.
Paramount Press Release on the Restoration Process
By A9ZAL2YHXSMFF on 2008-08-14
Here's the full press release, minus the disc specs which someone else has posted:
DIRECTOR FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA'S EPIC TRILOGY
DEBUTS ON DVD AND BLU-RAY IN ALL
NEWLY-REMASTERED VERSIONS
THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION
Cinematic Classics Return to their Original Pristine Glory with All-New Special Features
Must-Own Collections Arrive September 23, 2008
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (June 30, 2007) - More than three decades after they won the Academy Award® for Best Picture, director Francis Ford Coppola's classic films The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II will once again be enjoyed by audiences as they originally were meant to be seen, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Paramount Pictures, overseen by Coppola himself. On September 23, 2008, both fully restored films will debut on DVD and Blu-ray, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather Part III, to be included as part of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Collection. All three films will be available individually or in a five-DVD collection or four-disc Blu-ray collection, which are loaded with a host of all-new special features.
The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology in this historic preservation effort, which required more than a year to complete. Robert A. Harris of the Film Preserve supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and cinematographer, Gordon Willis. Harris' restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Vertigo and Rear Window among others.
The new special features created by Kim Aubry, founder of Zoetrope Aubry Productions, explores the complexities of the restoration process and provides new insights and perspectives about how the film almost didn't come to pass as we know it. The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't relates the unlikely events, intrigue, allegiances and luck that put together the unknown director with the "unwanted" cast and contains interviews with most of the living players and many of the film' admirers. Other featurettes include ...when the shooting stopped and Godfather World, which take a look at The Godfather's influence on popular culture today. Each film includes a commentary by Coppola.
THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray Collection
THE GODFATHER: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray four-disc set is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Mono (except The Godfather: Part III) and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
Laserdisc edition still superior
By A3MZJLC4KIYAKB on 2008-07-08
Don't be fooled Godfather fans.... forget all the bells and whistles bluray has to offer, not until bluray gets it right and includes all the edited scenes and bunches it in chronological order, will you get the best Godfather experience. So, sit back, dust off that old laserdisc player, if you decided to keep it. and brag to your bluray buddies, that this is the only Godfather edition to watch.
- Not quite up to my high expectations
By A2UOHALGF2X77Q on 2008-09-25
Obviously this isn't a review of the movies themselves, but the restoration and transfer to Blu-ray. Since The Godfather Parts I and II are two of the greatest movies of all-time, and also my two favorite movies of all time, I couldn't wait for this to be released. I'm sad to say it leaves me slightly disappointed. There was no "wow factor". It does not look a whole lot better than the original DVD collection. The main difference in Part I is, the restored version has a much brighter tone to it. Part II has more vibrant color. Part III looks almost the same as the original DVD. If these were DVD's, I'd say they were excellent. But for Blu-ray, they just aren't much better than an up-converted DVD. If I were going to show off my home theater system, these definitely wouldn't be the disks to use.
With all that being said, being a Godfather fanatic, it was still worth it to me. If you're a fanatic too, then you still have to buy it.
- No Godfather Saga--- No Complete Chronological version
By AENVLI4EXGXJH on 2008-09-18
Dear Mr Coppola You Restoration idea is crap. It is an apology for a terrible DVD release. AND WHERE IS THE THE COMPLETE EPIC?????? The chronological one??? With ALL THE OUTTAKES!!!. This Version in many of our minds is the finest film. Do hand any damn excuses. Consumers: DON"T BUY this totally incomplete box set. I have the VHS set of THE COMPLETE EPIC it's only weaknesses are VHS resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio. I am Making a BLURAY copy. Everyone with this version should do the same to preserve it before Coppola deep sixes his best version like he did with Abel Gance's Napoleon with his father's score. I believe in paying for a product BUT HOW MANY TIMES AM I GOING TO GET RAPED PAYING FOR INCOMPLETE AND INFERIOR PRODUCT? WAKE UP FRANCIS. Whattza matta you?
- what about "The Complete Epic"?
By A1HR0FVGHN9HT1 on 2008-08-03
I have been waiting for "The Complete Epic 1902-1959" to be released on DVD for years. And now I want it on Blu-Ray. This isn't it. I'm talking about the 1981 VHS release of the first two films combined into one, in chronological order with additional scenes. Godfather II, as everyone knows, contains flashbacks which don't necessarily add to the narrative. Tell the story in the order it takes place, throw in some lost footage, and add the third film to that, and we have an awesome epic film that isn't interrupted by 3 sets of opening and closing credits, telling one continuous epic story... 1902-1979.
This release has its place for purists, but I want the saga edition.
- LEGENDARY FILM MAKING! Can I say more?
By A1PL8JA0TEHBVN on 2008-09-24
THE GODFATHER trilogy is just one those works that survives all trends, fads, crisis, fashions, critics, scholars, lists... and gets better and better every time you watch it. Just like Citizen Kane, Rear Window, Sunset Boulevard, Raging Bull, The Sound of Music and Casablanca, THE GODFATHER trilogy (especially the first and the second films) helped the shaping of American Cinema. These films are landmarks: unsurpassed masterpieces.
To say that the saga of the Corleone family and more particularly Michael Corleone (who says to his girlfriend Kay "It's my family. Not me"... but cannot and will not escape the "family" in his genes) nearly reinvented American Cinema in the 70's is an understatement.
This Blu-ray edition features all the three films in a glorious High Definition restoration with STUNNING picture and sound. You cannot find a better product anywhere that will do justice to the great cinematic work presented.
The Blu-ray Collection includes:
DISC 1:
The Godfather feature film
Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
DISC 2:
The Godfather, Part II feature film
Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
DISC 3:
The Godfather, Part III feature film
Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
DISC 4:
Godfather World (HD)
The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (HD)
...when the shooting stopped (HD)
Emulsional Rescue--Revealing The Godfather (HD)
The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)
Four Short Films on The Godfather
The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)
Cannoli (HD)
Riffing on the Riffing (HD)
Clemenza (HD)
The Family Tree
Crime Organization Chart
Connie and Carlo's Wedding Album
2001 DVD Archive:
Behind the Scenes
The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
On Location
Francis Coppola's Notebook
The Music of the Godfather
Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
Gordon Willis on Cinematography
Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II
Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III
The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971
The Filmmakers
Francis Ford Coppola
Mario Puzo
Gordon Willis
Dean Tavoularis
Nino Rota
Carmine Coppola
Additional Scenes
Acclaim & Response
Trailers (HD)
Photo Gallery
Rogues' Gallery
...And brand new Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround (48kHz/24-bit) tracks for all three films. Also included are English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (640kbps), English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono (192kbps) and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (640kbps). Subtitles in English, Spanish and French.
Now, if we think of the HUGE importance of these films, we have to admit this Blu-ray edition is IMPRESSIVE by any measure and should be regarded as the best way to enjoy those films.
- Long overdue - but what about the Saga/Epic/Trilogy???
By A2WSIQA0LMV6MX on 2008-08-11
Yes, to have all three movies restored for Blu-ray release is fantastic, but die-hard Godfather fans are longing for a chronological release with ALL the extra scenes found in the Saga (1977), Epic (1981) and Trilogy (1992). There are so many enjoyable and important scenes left out of the original movies. The scenes of Sonny taking control after the Don is shot is invaluable. After Connie's wedding, the Don & his sons visit the dying Genco in the hospital. The scene in Part II of Don Fanucci singing a Sicilian song and later trying to fix up Vito with one of his daughters. There are too many to mention here, but having the movies in chronological order with all the deleted scenes would the ultimate Godfather collection. Please Mr. Coppola, give us this special set!
- Will the movies have the cut scenes??
By A3L12WY746GMAJ on 2008-07-31
I was a little disappointed when I bought the DVD box set, and found that the horse head section was not rearranged with the cut scenes! They have them on the extra disc, but not in the movie. I saw it on cable once, and loved it! It made more sense with the killing of the race horse, not just to strong arm the studio head, but because of the abuse of the child star! I really hope they add this option to the Blurays, like they did with all the versions of the Blade Runner movie!
- SAVE YOUR MONEY
By A24QJ27J78774T on 2008-09-27
If you already own the trilogy, this Blu-ray version is not an improvement. Most of the movie is extremely grainy - you will notice very little difference over regular DVD. To be fair, though, strangely, some scenes are definitely HD.
Also, unless you have upgraded your sound system to TrueHD, you can forget about having digital sound in English. This disc does not play DTS or Digital 5.1 in English. However, DTS is available in French or Spanish - if you happen to prefer the international theater experience. It's not clear what the folks at Paramount were thinking here. VERY Disappointing!
Don't be fooled by comments indicating "that's the way old films are supposed to look" - 35mm film is capable of capturing far more detail than your HD/1080p TV can reproduce, so depending on the condition of the "master" film stock, there's no reason this film should not look great in HD. Need proof? Check out "Grand Prix" starring James Garner (i have in HD-DVD), filmed in 1964, and released '66. Picture will leave you breathless - looks like it was filmed in HD - a perfect showcase for your HD theater.
There are plenty of grainy, nostalgic-looking versions of Godfather out there, including the old VHS versions. The blu-ray version is not worth the $60-80 upgrade.
- Mo Green goses blood and it's not cranberry juice!
By A2PMRDED477ETY on 2008-09-27
The restoration is perfect. The Godfather is a cherished film not a window of mob life. I was looking forward to the clear and sharp window like picture of today's blu-ray's. But as I watched The Godfather I realised this is the perfect picture for the movie. Most of all the colors pop with such a variety of dark colors and the blacks are real blacks and not the gray's with alot of noise in the dvd collection. I laughed when I saw the Mo Green hit. Me and my friend always made fun of it and now it is a brutal execution. Before it was a watery light pink that ran from his eye. Now it is darkened and even seems to have a thicker texture to it. The audio is crisp and keeps the original mostly front channel sound. The whole perpus of the restoration is not to make it the perfect picture, but to make it the perfect viewing exerience of the Godfather. And even though its not as sharp as the current blu-rays it is a vast improvement. Any True Godfather fan will make the upgrade.
- Best version I've seen so far - yes, the picture IS grainy and there's a packaging blooper too
By ADLVFFE4VBT8 on 2008-09-28
Let's put this behind us: the Godfather was, is and will always be 'grainy'. It's just the way they were shooting movies THIRTY-SIX YEARS AGO. So, yes, it's a 36 year old movie and it looks its age. It's true, '2001' looks a lot better on blu but, apparently, that's the best that could be extracted from the existing Godfather negatives - there is an entire 'extra' that explains how the transfer was done and the sometimes painful choices the restorers had to make. The transfer is grainy all over. It's grainy all the time. The whites are grainy and so are the blacks. In the end, it does not really matter or it didn't matter much to me because it's better than anything I've seen yet.
Moving beyond grainyness, the picture is steady like rock. I wasn't able to detect any major artifacts. The extra available on 'disk 4', showing the kind of work and the technology invested into this product convinced me that this is the best-looking Godfather except maybe the first screening at the Chinese theater in Hollywood that we are going to see in a long, long time. [A post blu-ray 'better' edition is possible in 10 years or so, when blu-ray is surpassed by a new technology, because the best negatives found were digitized on a resolution that's about 3 times higher than the current blu-ray.]
No major complaints about the sound. It's TrueHD 5.1, it's clear but don't expect any surround effects. I doubt the original was even stereo. It was a little bit low-volume on my stereo but it's probably my equipment to be blamed.
The extras on the 4th disk are actually worth watching. They are shot in HD. There's one where just about all major elderly and late-middle-age Hollywood directors and stars show up and say something, there's one about the restoration itself, a little short where some younger artists appear and say funny things. Overall... not too bad. Oh, besides the HD's, you also get the extras from the 2001 DVD edition and THAT's where you see the difference between Blu and the (previous) DVD version.
Now, for the bloopers section, get this: the blu-ray comes with the plastic disk case inside a cardboard boxy sleeve (very nice) but... there's also a nice 12-page brochure with the pictures of Coppola, Pacino, Brando and information on the contents of each of the 4 disks - coffee table style. Well... the brochure was meant to fit inside that cardboard sleeve, next to the plastic blu-ray disk case but it comes actually GLUED to the cardboard case because... it's too big. Someone forgot that the blu-ray cases are a bit smaller than the DVD's and, apparently, the brochure was supposed to be a 'one size fits all' kind of deal that doesn't fit the blu-ray. Sad.
Overall, I enjoyed the Blu Godfathers. While, yes, the picture is grainy and the transfer does not look like the Transformers or Ratatouille, not even like '2001', the blu-ray does look a lot better than the DVD version. This rendition of the Godfathers has many defects, it's far from perfect but, as far as I know, it's the best there is. I do not regret making the purchase.
I took away one star for the little brochure snafu and for the relatively high price (likely to go down) at release time.
- Picture quality is plain cr@p
By A2C6Z04RJ9ZEHR on 2008-10-12
I do not want to spend time on analyzing the movie, its a great piece and we know that for decades. These are the reviews of the blu ray version, so I limit my review to that.
This blu ray release is plain cr@p, the worst thing I have seen in HD, in fact this is not even HD. Looks like as if the lens was smeared with vaseline, dull colors, out of focus - horrible blu ray transfer. Waste of money, if you want the film just buy on DVD it might be even better quality at a fraction of the price.
- The rating is for the movies, not the "restoration"
By A496I3R9QH2B4 on 2008-07-02
I caught the HBO HD versions of all three movies. I'm assuming that the HD versions are the exact same as the upcoming releases (if not better).
The HD versions were very nice. The first two movies were grainy in some parts, for instance, during Michael's trial before the commission.
I think it is too difficult to perfectly transfer 35mm film to a digital format. I think they did a tremendous job with the HBO HD versions and I hope the Blu Ray ones will be better visually. I already know the sound tranfers will be great.
I can hear the opening trumpet now in TrueHD.
- Time to give The Corleone Family a proper chronology
By A1KZ4VFO4BSKIH on 2008-08-19
I have been an avid fan of the collection of masterpieces that in it's whole is known as "The Godfather Collection." Recent advances in technology in the film industry, that are capable of enhancing the film's look, sound and overall quality are here. Blu-Ray format is perfect for the job. I have the utmost trust in these skilled men to bring the film into the 21st Century. May I offer a suggestion during the restoration, to allow some editing and splicing of the film to allow the film to follow it's chronological order. Purists may argue it's desecration of the original. It has been sold in VHS form already...perhaps a ltd. ed.
- They Should Have Restored the Epic!
By A15ZBQ811F1MU3 on 2008-09-21
If you are simply going to restore the dvd set everyone else already has, what good is that? They should have restored the complete epic where the movie is in in time order!
- Uneven inconsistent quality transfer
By A2UHWWSKG456KW on 2008-09-27
I was very dissapointed in this transfer--
Specifically in the early G-1 wedding sequences, the whites are wayyyy
washed out and in fact there are some scenes where it appears as if they are adjusting the F-Stops during the transfer and the effect is distracting; There is additionally a short sequence when Michael goes to the hospital to check on his father...a short clip that appears to have been skipped from the restoration--damaged and grainy-out of whack with teh rest of the repair; THe seond half of G-1 looks OK and G-2 looks OK as well---but a very uneven opening for G-1 and I aggree that it prob was not worth the money to go to this Blu-Ray version.
- Uggh
By A3OL7KXGV0VOHD on 2008-10-03
I love Bluray and I love the Godfather so this appeared to be a perfect marriage. But, right from the start I was wondering if I had received the wrong discs or something. In some cases the picture quality seems to be not even as good as some previous DVD versions played via a BluRay player, in other cases the picture quality is downright terrible. What exactly did they spend that year they claim the restoration took doing? I understand that older movies won't ever look as good as other BluRay transfers but this is basically a rip-off. I have several other versions of these movies and wouldn't have bought this one if i had had any sense that the picture quality would not be any better....who would? I have the best possible set up from a player/television/connections standpoint so it isn't the equipment. Save your money and use one of the prior releases.
- Good Quality - too expensive
By A3JCJBJH6HTKVJ on 2008-09-25
The quality of the bluray version is NOT that much better than the DVD version I had. It's not terrible - clearly better - but not worth the price tag. At the same time the film was filmed a while ago so obviously the quality is not going to be like the newer bluray movie releases. The format is full widescreen and the menus/interface are decent.
I think this is worth buying when the price tag is something like $40 or below.
- Amazon price beats standard dvd for the same set
By A2Y1WNETD9AYHO on 2008-10-01
Well at least this blu ray set is cheaper than the standard dvd set... so I dont know why theres all this bitchin about blu ray version still being grainy.
I believe Paramount messed up the originals and Coppola had to get the Italian prints and others to source this as well as hiring Spielberg's company to do the transfer.
I was pleased at the Amazon price - I would not pay the retail price but the $62 Amazon price for three blu ray movies is withing normal bluray pricing... not to mention the effort that went into restoring the film.
*** REBATE WARNING! **
The included $10 Paramount rebate will NOT work because they claim the Amazon receipt is NOT REAL enough!!!! I sent it TWICE and they blew me off! I own both the blu ray and the original and they screwed me out of the $10 rebate! --- Paramount YOU SUCK ! --- and I will NEVER again update a blu ray movie from a dvd original from your library!
- Anticipation turned into massive Disappointment
By A325612QM51K6N on 2008-10-04
I ordered this on blu ray after hearing about its release and seeing the good price on Amazon. What a complete waste of money. I've seen better quality on non blu ray. This is one of the most grainy blu ray movies ive ever seen. Not worth the money or the effort. I cannot believe this is the best they could do with this movie. Its all hype and no sustenance. Save your money and dont buy this.
Since I first received this I have bought a few "older" movies as well to see how they compare to this. I picked up A Clockwork Orange and also The Shining. How could they have messed up Godfather so bad in comparison? Both of those movies in Blu Ray are not even in the same ballpark as the Godfather "restoration". To me the studio and Coppola are doing nothing but ripping off the public with this version as it is just horrible. I stand by my original review and marvel at the loss of $62 on crap.
- The video quality is just OK
By A3KH60GFEYUBDK on 2008-10-04
I was really looking forward to this title. I haven't seen the Godfather in a while and when I heard that the Blu-Ray version had gotten a hand makeover I thought it's time to buy it.
I was very disappointed in the quality of the picture, the colors were just OK and a lot of things just faded into black throughout the scenes.
All in all it was a good buy but I really believe it could've been so much better. This film deservers it!
- Region 1?
By AJ39OLVXK51TJ on 2008-07-14
Okay, so finally it looks like it will be there in a bit more two months! Let's hope the material it's worthy of blu-ray... because all DVD/Divx streams I came across so far were between horrible and average. For all of ous too young to have witnessed these movies on the big screen (or at least the first two), this will certainly be an entertaining experience!
Now, why the hell it's only region A (or 1, whatever you want to call it, US and Canada only)??? Will it take another year for Paramount to issue a Worldwide/Europe version perhaps, and that one will have missing chapters or messed up disc structure?
God, I really hate those guys and I wish I understood what goes on in their tiny brains...
- The Godfather film trilogy is finally being released on Blu Ray!!!
By A22VNXHU6IZ5MT on 2008-08-02
The wait will soon be over Godfather fans!!! These classic movies are finally getting the restoration they deserve thanks to Francis Ford Coppola and Paramount Blu Ray!!! After all 2 of these films(Godfather and Godfather Part II won the Best Picture Oscar for the years 1972 and 1974!!! Looks likes it's going to be done right this time(not saying that the 5 DVD set was bad thing,I own that release too,but this Blu ray set is supposed to be TOTAL RESTORATION of these films baby,the icing on the cake!!! Four discs(3 for the movies,and 1 disc for the extras!)This is what us fans have been waiting for!!! Two thumbs up!!! way up! PS,Hopefully "Apocalypse Now" will get the Blu Ray treatment it deserves in the not to distant future,guess they want too see how this release does! My only quibble is not include the "Complete Epic" version as well(as other reviewers have stated),because Blu Ray Dics have tons of space which could allow this to be done,it it would be a true treat for us fans,but it seems that for now the remastered movies + extras is what's going to be on this set!!! Still it's five stars anyway!!! A+
- The Restored Classic in Your Living Room
By A32O5FZH994CNY on 2008-10-10
When I was in college I went to the theatre and watched Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant interpretation of Mario Puzo's bestseller The Godfather. The stunning photography and sound transformed a very good Mafia story into an iconic piece of American culture. Over the years I have watched the Godfather and its brilliant sequel in various formats, film, VHS and DVD. But finally when the trilogy was restored by Coppola and his incredible cinematographer Gordon Willis I broke one of my cardinal rules about acquiring Blu-ray versions of movies I already own in DVD.
I watched on my Mitsubishi LT-46149 46-Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV with Integrated Sound Projector, which fully optimizes Blu-ray disks in a 1080p format. Just to be sure I compared it with the original triologyThe Godfather DVD Collection (The Godfather/ The Godfather - Part II/ The Godfather - Part III) on the same set using a Sony BDP-S301 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player BD/DVD/CD Playback with Bonus HDMI Cable which "upverts" standard DVDto 1080i.
There is no comparison.The colors are deep and rich in Blu-ray, while they are faded and scratchy on the "upverted" DVD. The overall effect of the restoration is to bring that original movie onto that original theatre screen into my house. Even though Godfathers I and II have never lost their place in the pantheon of American film, we have for years been watching these films under less than ideal conditions. The darkness that surrounds Don Corleone and then Michael became more dark gray than near-black. In its 1080p restoration the vermillion Statute of Liberty rises from the flat marsh grasses looking more like amber waves of grain than a neutral killing field. Taillights twinkle against the buffed exteriors of post-war automobiles as Michael exits the restaurant after killing a rival don and a corrupt police captain.
In Godfather II the 1080p again recreates the feel of the original cinema release, subject to a few clearly enhanced scenes. In several of the lake scenes (excluding Fredo's last bite) the water seems bluer and the mountains purpler. As many Godfather aficionados know the lake house was actually on the California side of Lake Tahoe. From the back yard the mountain profile Heavenly is unmistakable, establishing the California address.
The prequel segments featuring De Nero are bathed in sepia-like golden hues presumably as an antique finish that seems more reminiscent of Traffic than the theatrical rversion of Godfather II. It might be easy to say that the "restoration" has in some places done more than recast a damaged negative. However like the Star Wars recuts that used contemporary special effects technologies to create new virtual sets unimaginable in the 1970's, this restoration was the product of the original director in collaboration with the original cinematographer. These artists (and only they) are entitled to enhance their work using tools that help explain their original vision. this is not the colorized version of The Maltese Falcon whose pastels reeked havoc on a film noir classic. There is no reason these two films should not be works in progress by their creators.
The second issue relating to any enhancement is of course the viewer. It has been 36 years since the public has watched a fresh print of the Godfather. Since then we have seen it in less than optimal circumstances on over the air analog television, VHS, standard DVD and even Betamax. Each one of these formats substantially degrades the original film with poor resolution, pan and scan editing, and sloppy sound mixing. With so many exposures to these two classics under less than perfect conditions it is slightly presumptious to attempt to say what it looked like back then.
A 1080p Blu-ray version is a close as any average consumer is ever going to come to having a a fresh print. The bonus is that unlike a fresh print the digital imagery and sound will not fade, scratch or be formatted for television. In 38 years when Francis and Gordon (and I) will be likely be gone from this world this vision will be as fresh as it was today and in 1972 and 1974.
I have no comment on Godfather IIII, which is a poor cousin to the first two films. It is good to have, if only to show that money drives Hollywood and even great directors.
- 4 1/2 Stars for Blu-ray
By AJHWUHJN5ET30 on 2008-11-08
I am personally not a fan of The Godfather Part III, I don't even regard it as part of the trilogy. This review is only for Parts I-II.
These films have been restored to what Paramount claims to be "the best they'll ever look." I agree with them about 95% on this statement. Here's why:
On both films (especially Part I), there are a few instances of white specks and minor print defects. Also, the colors arent 100% consistent all of the time. I agree that color problems can't be helped, it's probably due to problems with the original source.
However, with films like Casablanca (from 1942) looking spotless, I can't help but think that these scratches and white specks could have been eliminated entirely. They certainly were for about 95% of the film.
This is my only qualm however, and it is still a minor one compared to the rest of this set's beneficial aspects. The picture and sound, save for white specks, are pretty much perfect (or as perfect as they will ever be). The special features are EXCELLENT, and kudos to Paramount for porting over all the extras from the 2001 DVD release. It seems that some of these features could have even been remastered for this release!
I own the Blu-ray version of the set. I have a friend that doesn't have Blu-ray who bought the standard DVD set. After doing a comparison, I have come to the conclusion that the Blu-ray set is vastly superior to the new DVD set. I HIGHLY RECCOMMEND buying this set!
- Godfather Blu-ray Info
By AHABFECTNE15I on 2008-09-12
Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
Subtitles: English / English SDH / French / Portuguese / Spanish
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / High Profile 4.1
Title: The Godfather
Running time: 2:57:09
Movie size: 47,98 GB
Disc size: 48,35 GB
Total bit rate: 36.12 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 27.01 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 3557 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 3557kbps (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Number of chapters: 23
*********************************************************
Title: The Godfather: Part II
Running time: 3:22:06
Movie size: 47,76 GB
Disc size: 47,98 GB
Total bit rate: 31.51 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 22.64 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 3592 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 3592kbps (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Number of chapters: 30
*********************************************************
Title: The Godfather: Part III
Running time: 2:50:15
Movie size: 47,62 GB
Disc size: 47,82 GB
Total bit rate: 37.30 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 28.93 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 3309 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 3309kbps (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Number of chapters: 25
- Superb
By A1S0WOOUR036KZ on 2008-09-26
Absolutely superb restoration - compared to the previous version the images have come to life, creating a whole different cinematic experience. The new sound is also very impressive. This is a must-buy.
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