In Italian families, respect is the essence which binds generations. Within the core of the family lay a set of unbreakable rules. They act as columns which extended from father to son. As long as these columns stood, the family would always remain strong. No matter what else happened.

I broke one of these rules this weekend, one which my father set down over 16 years ago. He even reinforced his position over Easter. I disobeyed him anyway. I had to. I had to see for myself the danger which he was trying to protect me from. So I committed one of the few unforgivable acts of an Italian family.

I watched The Godfather part III.

I liked it, that's right, laugh if you want, but I liked it. Here's where I was about to say "I just don't understand why people are so hard on this film", but you know what? I do understand.

See, Part II was released in 1974; Part III was released in 1990. That's 16 years of expectations to live up to. It can't be done. You just can't make a series of movies, go way for a few decades, the come back and expect everyone to be all happy about. _{unless it's porn} Francis Ford Coppola couldn't do it, George Lucas couldn't do it, and Spielberg won't be able to do it.

There's another reason why I liked it so much. Movies today absolutely suck. Look what I have to compare this to? You say there just wasn't any emotion? Ok, but I'll still take Mary Corleone being shot on the stairs over Billy Bob and Bubba Joe sharing their first French kiss in Bareback Mountain.

Back in the early '90s there was way too much competition. Godfather III just got lost among such masterpieces as Point Break and Wayne's World. Can you blame Robert Duval for turning down a reprisal of Tom Hagen when he was offered the part Harry Hogge in Days of Thunder? No man, you just can't.