It would have been easy for Francis Ford Coppola to churn out a quick cash-in sequel to The Godfather while the movie was still relatively fresh in the public consciousness. Instead, the director broadened the scope to offer a sequel/prequel hybrid that is breathtakingly shot, wonderfully acted and unquestionably the greatest follow-up in the history of cinema. In his second outing as Michael Corleone, Al Pacino gives one of the best acting performances of all time, while in the flashback sequences, Robert De Niro makes the audience forget all about the looming shadow of Marlon Brando with his stunning turn as the young Vito Corleone. Expanding the series' mythology and recurring theme of how power corrupts, Part II parallels Vito's rise with Michael's fall and from start to finish the movie is expertly constructed, with the final shot one of the greatest endings ever; a slow zoom and Pacino's expression conveying more than any dialogue ever could. The Godfather Part II followed the success of its predecessor and won the Academy Award for Best Picture, becoming the first sequel to do so. Coppola and Mario Puzo again won for Best Adapted Screenplay, with the former also taking home the statue for Best Director. Although Pacino was shockingly overlooked for Best Actor, De Niro picked up Supporting Actor, marking the first time two different actors had won Academy Awards for playing the same character.
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