The Godfather: Part III (1990)

I find it's best to view Part III similar to how Dir. Coppola reportedly does, as an epilogue to the Godfather's story as told in Parts I (1972) and II (1974).
A mournful tone segues into the familiar large family gathering, a setting wherein the current Don is lavished with honours and respect. His move into more legitimate business affairs gives the film a different kind of edge, but it's one that's dulled by a screenplay that feels stretched thin. In addition, the appointed successor to the Corleone name is never fully able to step out of the shadow of the characters/actors that came before. Even when considered as a counterpoint, it's not as satisfying as it could've been.
Pacino and Shire are great (and for the record I don't think Sofia deserved the criticism she received), but the highlight is the superb finale, staged at an opera it is itself a beautifully orchestrated piece of pure drama.

3 accounts settled out of 5

The Sentinel (1977)

Michael Winner’s technique can be as subtle as a sledgehammer meeting a grapefruit, but I find a lot of his stuff watchable, nevertheless. Sentinel is technically a horror film, but it’s the kind of sinister horror that builds slowly from a foundation of regular drama, not unlike Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Exorcist (1973), two films from which it borrows heavily.
It’s the story of a female model that moves into a NY apartment complex and quickly discovers that her neighbours are an oddball bunch. Shortly after that strange things begin to happen in the night.
A lot of it failed to catch hold of me, but there are two scenes that I’ll never forget: an uninhibited Beverly D'Angelo and a very chilling finale.

3½ abandoned hopes out of 5

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Hollywood swapped east for west, B+W for colour and katanas for guns in their reworking of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954). In doing so they managed to come up trumps in every way with the first film in the series.
The John Ford-esque clique; the men beholden to nothing but their own moral code; recurring good and bad guy themes (by Elmer Bernstein); and even the split between the recruit, preparation and battle phases are all instantly recognisable pre-existing elements to fans of both the Western and Chanbara genre, but it’s still indelibly iconic in its own 'magnificent' way.
Much of the appeal can be attributed to the cast. The seven protagonists and the man in their gun-barrel sights, the inimitable Eli Wallach, each remain cool under pressure; if they don't it's because the story demanded it.

4½ civic improvements out of 5

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

The third and final film in Leone's trilogy perfects the Italian 'Spaghetti' Western trademarks that he'd toyed with in the previous two films: the laughing bandit, the extreme close-up on the eyes, the time dilation, the three man stand-off and, of course, the unforgettable Ennio Morricone score. It clocks in at just under three hours, so it’s a long haul with a lot of story to assimilate, but it’s worth every bum-numbing minute.

4½ there are two types of men in this world... out of 5