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Title: Bloated and boring melodrama
Review: That's why this movie bombed in 1984 and whether you watch the 139min version or the director's cut, it can't make up for the poor script or storyline. Leone masterfully recreates New York in the 1910s and '30s, but then insists on labouring absolutely every scene, while irritating us with ringing telephones, clinking teaspoons or Morricone's morbid soundtrack. The storyline is weak, with the tedious "Our Gang"-like sequence showing the young hoods, the Bonnie & Clyde-like 30's mobster sequences and then the wholly implausible '60s finale. The script is poor and doesn't contain a single memorable line. The acting is ordinary, with most of the cast seemingly sleep-walking through their parts, De Niro and Pesci are wasted (Goodfellas this is not), while Elisabeth McGovern seems unable to even open her mouth to speak. This movie cannot be compared in any way to The Godfather (or even Godfather III!). I regret wasting my time and money on this movie.
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