Don Corleone

I can't remember the first time I watched The Godfather. I was probably too young to appreciate the movie at the time, and frankly, probably couldn't have understood much of it. However, I've watched it numerous times since then, and everytime I catch a glimpse of the movie on the telly, I'll find myself sinking into the sofa and staring intently as the story unfolds. Some movies are able to do that to you...e.g. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings... one can watch it a dozen times and never get tired of it. I'm guessing that is the true meaning of a classic. Come to think of it, these 3 movies are the only trilogies that I can think of that were truly successful. The Matrix came close, but I'm sure almost everyone agrees that Matrix Revolutions was a slight disappointment.

The Godfather is consistently voted as one of the best movies of all time. The Godfather defined the mobster genre. Every single mobster movie has been and will be inevitably compared to it, and for good reason too. It is rare to see a movie that has such brilliant actors complementing each other without any particular character being overshadowed. Each character is moulded carefully, presenting to us a complex chain of human interaction. Heck, how can you go wrong with Brando, Diane Keaton, Duvall, De Niro and especially Pacino at the top of their game? Not forgetting the cinematography and direction which are picture-perfect, with immaculate attention to detail. It's a story about a family and their involvement with organised crime, with an interplay of various plots. It's a tragic love story, as all good stories are (to paraphrase Spidey).

The reason I'm suddenly thinking about The Godfather is 'cause a chap by the name of Mark Winegardner has been given the opportunity to write a sequel of The Godfather. The original work by Mario Puzo was also by itself a masterpiece, and Puzo never wrote a sequel because he was pretty darn sure he'd never be able to surpass the original. I have my doubts on Winegardner's ability to soar to the level of Puzo's original, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see...

It's quite interesting to see our perceptions of movies change as we grow older. Once upon a time, I'd have died rather than watch a chick flick, but now I find them tolerable, and even very watchable if I'm in the correct state of mind or with the right company (i.e. with my significant other). The only thing that has remained the same for me (I think) is my love for cartoons. I remember watching The Little Mermaid as a kid and was mesmerised by the Under the Sea song. I dare say I'd still feel the same if I were to watch it today. As commercialised as Disney has become, I'd say their main loss is their inability to produce such classic cartoons anymore. The last good one was probably The Lion King. And even that was ruined by the horribly capitalistic sequels. My fav cartoon of all time is definitely The Simpsons, and one can go on forever about its potrayal of everyday life. At the moment I'm also a fan of Happy Tree Friends. Kinda sick n twisted, but do check it out! ;)