Top 5 Movie Fathers

Today is Father's Day, and to celebrate, it is time to rank the Best Dads in movies! My rankings are based on how memorable the character is, and less on how "good" a father they are. The qualification for the list is that the father in question is the biological father of characters in a story, which means no father figures, and the character's children must play a part in the film's story.

5: Bryan Mills (Taken)

One of Liam Neeson's most iconic roles, Bryan Mills is a man with a "very particular set of skills," and if he was not included on the list, you might never hear from me again. Aside from number one on the list, no other father has a more memorable quote (watch it above). With that said, the actual Taken films have not impressed me all that much. Sure, the first one is fun to watch with Neeson being all kinds of awesome, but it is an otherwise typical action flick. Regardless, Mills and his "particular skills" deserve a place on this list.

4: Clark Griswold (National Lampoon's Vacation)

 Easily the funniest father on the list, Clark Griswold just wants to have a fun vacation with family, and somehow, something, often times himself, just screws everything up! Clark is at his best towards the end of each film as he reaches the limits of his mental endurance and goes off on some of the most memorable comedic rants in cinema. My favorite being his rant at the end of Christmas Vacation, my favorite of the franchise.

3: Vito Corleone (The Godfather)

When constructing a list of film fathers, how could the Godfather not make the list!? If not, who knows, I might wake up with a horse’s head in my bed. All jokes aside, Vito Corleone, played by the brilliant Marlon Brando, is most definitely an unforgettable film father. Sure, you could make a case that his son should be on the list, but Michael rarely interacted with his children, whereas the entire plot of The Godfather revolves around Vito and his family. 

2: Professor Henry Jones

"Junior? It is you Junior!" Played by Sir Sean Connery, Professor Henry Jones Senior has been one of my favorite film fathers for many, many years. Of all the fathers on the list, no other is featured so prominently with his child than Henry Jones Senior. His banter with son is always entertaining to watch no matter how many times you watch it. The character added another layer of humanity to Indy's character, which made The Last Crusade almost as iconic as the original.

1: Darth Vader 

How could there be any other? If, for some absurd reason, you do not already know the most well known spoiler in the history of cinema, aka The Empire Strikes, do not continue reading. With that out of the way, Vader is easily the most iconic father in cinematic history. No other film father comes even close to Vader, or almost any character. Sure, Vader might not have exactly been the greatest father in the galaxy considering that he chopped off his son's hand, but we all make mistakes, right?  In the end, Vader sacrificed his own life for that of his son, and despite all of the pain he caused; he brought Balance to the Force.

Who are your favorite cinema dads? Please comment below and let me know!

Honorable Mention: Michael Corleone (The Godfather), Howard Stark, Jor El, Pa Kent, Joseph "Coop" Cooper (Interstellar),

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The Godfather Review

The Godfather, a film that is often considered "The Greatest Film of All-Time."

Reviewing The Godfather is a difficult task to accomplish. Since it is so highly regarded, even trying to subjectively critique the film and not praising it as the “best film of all-time” could result with some posh critics not taking me seriously anymore (not that any posh critics actually read this blog to my knowledge or that I honestly care what they think). Despite this, my review for The Godfather will not be bound by the preconceived notion that it is perfect and will not pandering to those that believe it to be perfect. This is my honest and unfiltered review.
Considering that other highly regarded works such as Goodfellas have turned out to be good but not great, my expectations for The Godfather were rightfully tempered. To my surprise however, The Godfather actually turned out to be a great movie. Despite the dark and heavy subject material and tone, the movie managed to be entertaining, which is an area where many similar crime films fail.

Compared to some other supposed "Classics," The Godfather is actually a movie that I can partially see why it is held in high regard. Does it really deserve to be considered "The Greatest Film of All-Time"? Not really, and now that I have said that, there is sure to be a wave of angry fans in a rage right now. It is certainly a great movie with fantastic performances, and if it is your favorite, that is great, but very few, if any, films should be considered "The Greatest Film of All-Time" because that is entirely up to personal preference. Are you any less of a film-lover if you do not enjoy, or even hate, The Godfather? Of course not! How much you love and enjoy movies is not dictated by which movies you enjoy, but rather how much you enjoy movies as a whole. Now that I am off my soapbox, allow me to continue with the review.

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Genre: Crime, Drama,
Release Date: March 15, 1972
Running Time: 175 minutes
MMPA rating: R

The Good: All around excellent performances, Surprising plot twists and turns, Many quotable lines, Good soundtrack, Several iconic movie moments,

The Bad: Dragged a little bit in a few places,

Warning: This movie is "R" and is intended for mature audiences.

Plot Summary: Considering the popularity of The Godfather and the fact that most plot summaries spoil some of the best parts, there is no need for a plot summary.

Plot: 8.8/10- The Godfather's first 20-30 minutes are mostly setup the rest of the film by establishing the characters to a degree as well as the setting. One or two scenes during those first 20-30 minutes felt unnecessary and overly long. Fortunately however, the movie began to pick up the pace a little with a story that finally grabbed my attention by the 30 minute mark and after that, it was an entertaining experience. The plot took some unexpected twists and turns. During a few points in the movie, the pacing dragged a little too much, which took me out of the movie for a short time. Other than that, the plot was well written. Despite the long running time and occasional pacing issues, The Godfather did not feel like a long movie. Also, the planning to overthrow the other crime families and other such aspects were the most entertaining part of the movie to me. It should be stated that I do enjoy long movies more than the average moviegoer, therefore The Godfather is likely to bore some viewers more than me.

Characterization: 8.5/10- In general, the characters of The Godfather are solid characters for the type of movie being made. However, only three or four of the characters are actually memorable and identifiable, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Vito Corleone, head of the Corleone family, is the most memorable character, and he has many unforgettable quotes. Michael Corleone is the character that receives the most development throughout the course of the film. Beyond the two main characters and Tom Hagen, not many of the other characters are given much development or characterization, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

After doing a little research, it was stated that one of the reasons The Godfather was different than other Mafia and crime movies is that it did not depict illegal gambling and other forms of forms of racketeering in the film, and that the movie does not depict some of the characters as necessarily terrible people since most of the people they kill are other criminals, not innocent civilians. I have to agree with that statement since the main character is surprisingly likable and not too difficult to get behind. This is one of the aspects that make The Godfather more entertaining than the run-of-the-mill crime movie.

Acting: 9.3/10- Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone is undeniably iconic in the role. While occasionally difficult to understand, he plays the role to near perfection. A relative unknown at the time, Al Pacino also gives a strong performance as Michael Corleone. Robert Duvall is excellent as he always is in a somewhat minor role. Some of the other minor actors in the film, as well as few other cast members are not always the best, but overall, the acting by the minor characters is good.

Special effects: N/A- While not special effects per se, Francis Ford Coppola's direction is overall very strong, and he was able to create effective suspense in some scenes. However, to me at least, his direction was not revolutionary or noticeably amazing as some have said.

Soundtrack: 8.4/10- Nino Rota's score for The Godfather is fitting for what the film needed, and it added suspense to some scenes. After doing some research, I discovered that the movie was disqualified for Best Score at the Oscars because the "Love Theme" was used by Rota in a previous work.

Humor: N/A- Considering that The Godfather is such a serious film, many will not find any humor in the movie. However, some parts did make me laugh in a good sadistic kind of way, like when a character that you dislike finally gets what is coming to him.

Entertainment Value: 8.2/10- The Godfather combines two things that I find particularly entertaining: 1) strategic scheming and planning, and 2) criminals killing criminals in ruthless ways.

Overall: 8.8/10- Despite being overrated to a degree, The Godfather is undeniably a well crafted piece of film with excellent performances and surprising entertainment value, providing the long running time is not a turn off.

Closing comments: Considering that The Godfather is so highly regarded by critics, I recommend the movie to anyone old enough that considers themselves a film enthusiast to watch the movie, even if one does not enjoy the experience. However, I am not one of those snobs that would say that you not are film enthusiast if you have not seen the movie, since there are many other movies that you should watch first.

Recommended for *Mature*: CineFiles (film enthusiasts), Crime genre fans, Drama fans,

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The Godfather Review: Guest Post by Rebecca.

Here is a guest post review by my friend Rebecca at Just me... I have yet to see The Godfather and I am not sure if I would agree with Rebecca on the review but it is a great review.

 

Thoughts: The Godfather is a movie about the Corleone crime family in New York during the 1920s-1930s. The story chronicles the finale fall of Vito Corleone and the reluctant rise of his son Michael. Despite it's label as a 'violent' movie--it really isn't that violent, and not only that but it can be pretty  deep. There are many subtle cues throughout the movie that give you amazing insight into the characters. The Godfather is a surprisingly symbolic movie. Symbolism runs throughout the movie and gives it a powerful edge. You must be a close and careful viewer in order to fully understand the intense meaning behind it all.

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Genre: Drama

Release Date: March 15 1972

Running Time: 175 Minutes

MMPA Rating: R

The Good: Fantastic drama, story, and acting. The story is absolutely amazing and a must watch!

The Bad: Not as much action as one might expect--however, what action there was is exceptional and true to life. Also, the movie does have it's slow moments, but those slow moments are often crucial to the story.

Plot: The following summary is copied from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather Though it really isn't a great work. I will right my own plot sample for The Godfather Part Two.


On the day of his only daughter's wedding, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) hears requests in his role as the Godfather, the Don of his New York crime family. Vito's youngest son Michael (Al Pacino), on military leave, introduces his girlfriend, Kay Adams (Diane Keaton), to his family at the sprawling reception. Vito's godson Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), a popular singer, pleads for help in securing a coveted movie role, so Vito dispatches his consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) to the abrasive studio head, Jack Woltz (John Marley), to secure the casting. Woltz is unmoved until the morning he wakes up in bed with the severed head of his prized stud horse.
Shortly before Christmas 1945, drug baron Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (Al Lettieri), backed by the Corleones' rivals, the Tattaglias, asks Vito for investment and protection through his political connections, but Vito disapproves of drug dealers. Instead, he sends his enforcer, Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana) to spy on them, but a fish is returned to the family wrapped in Brasi's vest, confirming he "sleeps with the fishes". Sollozzo's assassination attempt on Vito lands Vito in the hospital, so eldest son, Sonny (James Caan), takes command. Sollozzo kidnaps Hagen to pressure Sonny to accept his deal. Michael thwarts a second assassination attempt on his father at the hospital, but is accosted by corrupt police Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden), who breaks his jaw. Sonny retaliates by having Tattaglia's son killed. Michael comes up with a plan to hit Sollozzo and McCluskey that his brother approves over Hagen's objections. On the pretext of settling the dispute, Michael lures the pair to a restaurant, retrieves a planted handgun and murders them.
Despite a clampdown from the authorities, the Five Families erupt in open warfare and the brothers fear for their safety.

Watch the movie to see what happens next!

Plot: 9.9/10: The movie has an original plot and keeps the viewer interested. As I said before, the story is one of great sorry and triumph for the Corlone family and gives remarkable insight into the world of the crime families.

"It's not personal, it's just business."

The symbolism alone is amazing! Everything about this movie has a point. For instance: the puppet controls on the title symbolize the control the Godfather has over the family. Basically they are is puppets. Also, the subtle nuances of this movie are wonderful! For example: When Michael goes to the hospital and discovers that the guards have abandoned his father to die--he and a visitor pose as guards in order to ward off the up coming attack. After it's over, the visitor tries to light a cigarette, but can't because his hands are shaking too badly. Michael lights it for him and discovers that his own hands aren't shaking--hinting to the fact that, despite Michael's best efforts--he is immune to the terror around him. Also, when the reluctant Michael Corleone becomes the Don (AKA the Godfather of the family) he stops smiling. I know that's not something most people would pick up on--but still, it's there. Michael never smiles again (or at least not genuinely) after he becomes the Don. He didn't want in the family--he just wanted out. Yet, to save his family, he sacrificed everything.

Action:7.6/10: This movie isn't really an action movie, though many people claim it is very violent. Actually, it really isn't that bad on the violent scale...though there are parts that definitely are violent. However, there are very few mass shoot outs in this movie.

Acting: 9.8/10: The acting in this movie is superb! Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert Duvall give jaw dropping performances, and even the supporting cast calls for an encore! The movie was cast perfectly. I'd give it a 10/10--but that's just me.       

Special Effects: N/A: The Godfather really doesn't have any special effects; there's no need for any. The Godfather is a realistic drama about a New York Crime family; the only real special effects in this movie are the basic gunfire effects. However they are still good.

Soundtrack: 9.9/10: The soundtrack is perfectly suited to this movie. Nino Rota did a brilliant job!

Comedy: 5.2/10: The Godfather isn't really a comedy movie. However, there are a few comedic moments scattered throughout. However these moments are more chagrin than anything else. They are humorous if you have been paying attention to the story and understand the characters. For instance: it's funny when Sonny beats his brother-in-law for abusing his sister. Also, some of the ways the Corleone family sends messages are humorous!

Would I Watch This Again?: Yes! This is one of those great movies that you can never get tired of!

Overall: 10/10: The Godfather is an epic, timeless movie that you can never forget. It is a classic must see. The Godfather is the story of a powerful family's reign of power and the reluctant hero who tried, in vain, to save them. Trust me, you haven't seen a movie until you have seen the Godfather!  

Closing Comments: If and when you decide to view the Godfather--don't expect a quick, no effort watch. This is an amazingly complex movie and you HAVE to pay attention in order to fully comprehend it all! Everything in this movie has a point and ultimately leads to the conclusion--so pay attention! If you miss a cue then you won't understand the story!

Recommended for: Drama fans, Classics fans, Crime Drama Fans and anyone over fifteen!

Thanks so much to my friend James for letting me do this review!

 

Rebecca will be posting some very important news on her Just me..., very soon. Be sure to check out her blog.

  

"It's not personal, it's just business"