'The Godfather' Trilogy 4K Set Gives Another Reason to Buy These Movies (Review)
The Godfather trilogy has been repackaged and sold countless times, but the new 4K UlraHD package from Paramount Pictures is guaranteed to be the best home video edition of these classic films for a long time. Francis Ford Coppola's epic adaptation of Mario Puzo's novel will always be one of the most outstanding cinematic achievements of all time, and the new 50th-anniversary restoration is an achievement itself. Although The Godfather and its sequels were previously restored for the first Blu-ray release in 2008, Paramount's new restoration shows how far technology has come in 15 years. These movies have never looked this good for home viewing.
Paramount is releasing two different box sets on March 22. One is the bare-bones edition that includes just the discs, and another is a more expensive package that adds a hardcover book and art prints. Thankfully, there are no supplements exclusive to the deluxe set. There are four 4K UHD discs in total, one for each of the first two movies, two covering The Godfather: Part III, and a Blu-ray disc with extras. One Part III disc includes Coppola's 2020 edit of the film, retitled The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, while the other has the 1990 theatrical cut and a 1991 edit on the same disc. Part III has always been seen as an awkward black sheep of The Godfather family, and while The Death of Michael Corleone tightens the film up a bit, it is not drastically different enough to completely fix its flaws. Any other filmmaker would be happy to have a movie like Part III on their resume. It just pales in comparison to the first two films.
The films truly look astounding and reference-quality level. If you want to show someone the wonders of 4K and why it's better than a standard Blu-ray, this is the set to use. The first Godfather film shows incredible detail that you couldn't see on the Blu-ray. Of course, the power of these films is that once you start watching them, it's hard to detach yourself from the story to make technical observations. No matter how many times you have seen them, it is like the first time each time. There is no better way to watch three hours of time melt away than to watch The Godfather or The Godfather Part II. The flashback scenes in Part II are awe-inspiring, with the sepia-tone sheen cinematographer Gordon Willis created perfectly preserved in a way past editions couldn't come close.
The one disappointment of the set is Paramount missing yet another chance to release The Godfather Saga. All the extra scenes Coppola included in the epic miniseries edit are still here in the supplements, but they look like they were lifted from a VHS tape. Paramount uses identical versions of these scenes from the previous Blu-ray and DVD editions. The legacy content from past editions is here but remains in standard definition. They share a disc with a selection of new extras, beginning with a fascinating and surprisingly in-depth look at the 2022 restoration. The only extras on the film discs are Coppola's previous commentary tracks and newly-recorded introductions from the director. Each disc includes the 2008 TrueHD 5.1 audio and original restored mono tracks. (The set also includes a digital code, but a mystery is why anyone would want to watch these movies on a computer.)
Longtime Godfather fans might be rolling their eyes at buying these movies once again, but if you have a 4K Blu-ray player and a 4K television, you owe it to yourself to get a copy of this set. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are two of the greatest films of all time, and now they are both available in the best possible format on the market. The addition of three different versions of Part III sweetens the deal. Plus, if you have this one on your shelf, you'll never have to worry about it leaving a streaming platform. Coppola's masterpieces aren't just the most outstanding examples of movie magic but two of the great pieces of American art.