Semi-Finals: The Dark Knight vs. The Godfather II

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

Semi-Final Match: The Dark Knight vs. The Godfather: Part 2

Both of these films have taken down some pretty big juggernauts thus far in the tournament, but now they collide in a battle of two of the biggest sequels to grace the big screen. The Batman's biggest challenge lies ahead of him, and it's not the Joker or Harvey Dent, it's Michael Corleone.
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[Mitch Henessey]

The Dark Knight will probably advance to the next round. Christopher Nolan's work is immune to any negative criticisms, and The Dark Knight trilogy is praised as the holy grail for superhero films. Add in Heath Ledger's Joker, and Godfather II is in for a rough up-hill battle in this round.

You wanna see a genuinely evil performance? Watch Pacino's Corelone from Godfather II. Plus, the combination of De Niro, Duvall, and Diane Keaton provides a stronger supporting cast. Sorry, but Maggie Gyllenhaal's presence puts a big dent in The Dark Knight's cast.

Think of all pressure Francis Ford Coppola had to deal with. The Godfather was considered to be a landmark achievement in filmmaking. But Coppola returned with a strong sequel that rivals the original in quality and an overall prestigious legacy.

The legacy of Nolan's Batman films receives an extra boost, because Schumacher's infamous turkey/abomination almost destroyed the Batman franchise:

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Batman Forever was nothing to remember, and Batman & Robin was a colossal failure on every level. Not only is it the worst Batman movie ever, it's been pegged as one of the worst movies of all-time from any genre. Face it, anything would've been an improvement over Batman & Robin. So yeah, you can thank Joel Schumacher, if The Dark Knight advances to the next round.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

The Dark Knight is a fabulous film and I still love watching it. Heath Ledger's Joker is a performance of a lifetime and the movie had me enthralled the whole way through. Doesn't matter though because Godfather Part II is a superior film in every sense of the word.

The Godfather is easily one of the greatest all time movies and its truly remarkable that the sequel in many ways i just as strong and in some views a better film. Its critically acclaimed and within 3 and 1/2 hours it gave us 2 incredible stories. I personally love Robert DeNiro's performance as a poor immigrant becoming the head of his crime organization and avenging his mothers death and the contrast story of Michael Corleone becoming even more evil by watching him take down Roth and Fredo while watching his marriage dissolve. The end when he coldly shuts the door in front of his wifes face for what she did is just fantastic to watch and it all wrapping up, taking us back to before the 1st film when Michael decides to join the army and the absolute anger Sonny had for him in doing so. The film dove deeper into already established great characters and gave us 3 1/2 hours of pure awesome in doing so.

I love both movies but Godfather Part II will (and should) always be held in higher regard.