One of the greatest film trilogies ever made is currently streaming for free, and those who already use the free platform can’t get enough of it. There are many timeless trilogies, with Sergio Leone’s Dollars, The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight, and even the Quentin Tarantino-approved Toy Story trilogy all being fan favorites. But years before most of those listed above, and a decade after Leone’s classic Spaghetti Westerns, Francis Ford Coppola (who is now known as the Megalopolis guy) directed one of the most iconic film trilogies of all time. The final entry is certainly divisive among fans, but the first two films are so iconic and highly rated that it still elevates the series into the pantheon of great trilogies. That is, of course, The Godfather trilogy, and it’s currently available to stream for free.
The Godfather, The Godfather: Part II, and the divisive The Godfather: Part III are all available to stream for free on Pluto TV, and the trilogy is proving as popular as ever. All three movies hold the penultimate places on the streamer’s chart. Surprisingly, Adam Sandler’s Blended holds the top spot. But The Godfather sits in second place, with Part II and Part III holding third and fourth, respectively. The Godfather first debuted in 1972. The film starred Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, the son of the revered mafia boss, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who inherits the family business after his father’s death. But when Michael becomes the new don, things take a very dangerous turn.
Two years later, in 1974, Coppola returned with The Godfather: Part II, the perfect follow-up to his already timeless original film. Part II starred Robert De Niro as a younger Vito Corleone in the 1920s, while Michael Corleone continued his battle to secure the family business in the present. While some fans try to forget about it, Coppola released The Godfather: Part III in 1990. The final entry is nowhere near as good as its predecessors. But many still enjoy it as the (admittedly shaky) resolution to an all-time favorite movie trilogy.
Which ‘The Godfather’ Movie Is the Best?
Let’s get one thing out of the way first: It’s most definitely not The Godfather: Part III, and there are few people who would argue that it is. That leaves the original movie and Part II. Both movies were tremendously successful with critics and audiences, and they both hold a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. However, according to RT, the first film appears to be the slight favorite. Part II boasts a great audience rating of 97%. But The Godfather one-ups that with a 98% audience score.
Whichever is your personal favorite, it’s hard to argue that the two are some of the greatest movies ever made, as film bros will repeatedly remind you. The timeless story of Michael Corleone’s rise to power, along with the countless iconic shots that have been spoofed in nearly every sitcom, has cemented The Godfather‘s cinematic legacy for years to come.
