Review Detail

There is a broad consensus out there that the Godfather trilogy are masterpieces (mostly the first two). Can you really improve upon the experience? Well, I found out with this edit the answer is a resounding yes.

I have read great things about Wraith’s edits from these reviews. I was debating with myself whether to watch his extended editions of the movies or go with the Opus edits. After watching Don Vito’s Opus, I know I made the correct decision.

Watching the story of young Don Vito first really helped flesh out his character. Getting to know his tragic early life right away really enhances his character and makes him more relatable when we fast forward to him as a senior citizen. It really added value to the story, as in the movie we are told a few times that he softened in his older age. It flows more logically when we know what he was like as a young man. I was initially concerned with this placement as I liked the juxtaposition as flashbacks comparing young Vito to Michael in Godfather 2. However, I changed my mind and like this much better.

Nearly all the deleted scenes were nice additions that I believed really helped with character development. Getting to see a bit more of Michael’s early foolishness helps contrast with his change of heart to join the family business. I also liked seeing early on how Sonny was told to restrain himself from going after Connie’s husband.

From a narrative and enjoyment perspective, this is an obvious 10/10. I acknowledge that I am not the best qualified to actually rate anything about the edit itself as I do not have the eyes nor ears for that. Nonetheless, the edit appeared visually good and I did not notice any audio issues.

Great job on this edit. Anybody who wants a better Godfather experience must watch this. I will be moving on to the sequel. As I am pressed for time, it will take a few days to watch like it took with this one, but I am confident it will be worth the effort.