StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

thinker1691 So many people have seen Mario Puzo's the 'Godfather' and Terence Young's 'The Valachi Papers ' that the famous families of all the gangland characters of the 1920s' and 30's are very familiar household names to audiences everywhere. Thus this serious film directed by Michel Poulette, called " Bonanno: A Godfather's story " should come as no surprise to anyone watching the movie. The story is a multi-generational tale as recalled by Joseph and William Bonanno. They were the Father (Martin Landau and Costas Mandylor) and son heads of the Bonanno crime family in New York. Beginning with his birth in Italy, emigrating to America and later ruling as one of the Five Families in New York, Joseph relates his life as part of the Rise and Fall of the Cosa Nostra. Audiences are towed along on a historical ride as the two relate their ties with all the well known bosses, and key family heads like Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano, Joe Masseria, Don Ciccio Joe Profaci, Albert Anastasia and Joe Valachi. Other notable figures also surprise audiences like Joe Sr., John and Robert Kennedy. Through four hours of vivid narration, we see how a single life touched so many during the heyday of the gangster, adding key elements to historical assassinations and murders. It's a great film, albeit, a tad long, nevertheless, Martin Landau is a superb choice for the centerpiece of this Classic movie. ****

kjgkreek This movie have 4 parts and every is around 170 minutes long. Its based on true story of life of Joe Bonanno and it is telling all how he did see. So in some events we can notice that we heard different about it. Movie make you tied up for chair till the end, i think it is possible to watch all 4 in a row, and not notice i watched 2 in a row and 2 next day in a row. Acting in movie is OK in some scenes awesome but in general could be bather, but this movie is not about acting or special effects and glamor, this one show real thing and story is key to this movie. So the one who look for same spectacular Rambo/matrix/titanic movie you can skip this one. Good thing in movie is that follow the main story so you will not have long and boring love scenes or any different interrupt with something not important to crime business of Bonanno.

Peter Hayes Hollywood has turned the Mafia in to a production line of output ranging from the banal to the excellent and despite some good acting and a reasonable script (much of which is - for a change - true!) this "home entertainment" effort has to fall slap bang in the middle.The script is not only obvious (all of the checklist boxes end up being ticked), but spends a lot of time trying to create a pastiche of the best of other people's work. The Godfather being the most obvious, but there are other references too. I won't bother naming them. Nevertheless it is a good taste borrower! The producer seems to set a quota for gunshots and murder (one at least every twenty minutes?) and the ending is weak and "so what?" I am told there are various versions of this production so that maybe that is just the version I have seen.Gangsters don't make money they take money. Usually by fear. Some seem more in to the murder and mayhem side of the business than making money. They were the ones that were the first to go (in real life and here). "You can't make money with a gun in your hand" says Charlie 'Lucky' Luciano at one stage. One of the smarter gangsters, although all things are relative. He was a skilled white slave trader and a drug dealer before being bundled home to Italy.The old school "moustached Pete's" were picked off by the new bloods who wanted the power and the money for themselves and to break free of the straight jacket of Italian/Sicilian power (rarely doing business outside themselves). The young Turk knew they needed to be allied with other groups (most notably "the Jews" who knew how to launder money) and this is at least referenced and acknowledged. What isn't made so clear is that most immigrant groups had their own Mafia's - but most of them made their money and went legit. And why not? Who wants to die in jail?Joseph Bonanno was a ruthless man prepared to kill if needs be , but not an unfair or stupid one. His story was tragic in that he could have made money in the over ground world and he showed a special skill in avoiding getting killed. With a little bit of luck attached, naturally.Despite the range of respectable names and three actors in the title role (Bruce Ramsay, Martin Landau and Tony Nardi) there isn't the charisma or the talent to bring us in and feel anything. We are - merely - passive observers in a life we are glad not to have lead. The people shown here were born in to a cruel world but their only mark was to make it crueler.If you can't get enough of the gangster genre that will be better than watching Godfather 1 & 2 for the tenth time and it is even better -- as basic entertainment -- than the horrible misfire that was Godfather 3.

dewey22 Very well done acting and directing. This is a cross between "The Last Don" and " Godfather 2".One large plus for this production is that it is claimed to be a true story of Joseph Bonanno. With a better music score to create mood, it could have been a rival for both Godfather movies.