The Movie Journal

  The Godfather Part III (1990) Everyone thought The Godfather and The Godfather Part II told the complete story of Francis Ford Coppola's epic crime saga. Even the director himself thought so. But it was not meant to be. 16 years later, Paramount greenlighted The Godfather Part III. I have mixed opinions about how I feel about the movie. On one hand, it was fascinating to see Al Pacino return as Michael Corleone as he grapples with legitimacy and how he fights his past, present, and future. We all remember how the second movie ended with Michael ordering the death of his brother, Fredo in one of the most famous endings of all time. Here is where he faces the ghosts of his past. It is an incredibly fascinating insight in the mind of a complex human being. On the other hand, Coppola's heart may have been 100% into this project. Some moments felt disjointed and the editing felt like something was off at times. On top of that, Sofia Coppola's performance is really bad. Her fat...

  Kindergarten Cop (1990) Can you imagine if Arnold Schwarzenegger was your elementary school teacher? His bulging muscles and thick Austrian accent is just too much for me to handle in my thoughts comparing him to any number of my teachers. Ivan Reitman's Kindergarten Cop is the reason why I had such thoughts in the first place. I did not find Reitman's film to a necessarily great movie but does tend to be entertaining and even heartwarming at times. It is important for parents to note that little children will be scared of some events that happen despite its PG-rating. I know, as a child, that scene where the father slapped the child in the face gave me a few nightmares. This role is a complete reversal of what someone would expect in a Schwarzenegger film. In addition to the action, he proves that he has skilled comedic timing and the ability to act well around children. I believe this performance opened up new doors in his Hollywood career. Coming off the major success of b...