Part II,” the perfect sequel? : Consider this from NPR : NPR

“Kiss of Death” in “The Godfather: Part II”, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo. Seen here from left, John Cazale (back to camera) as Fredo Corleone and Al Pacino as Don Michael Corleone.

Photo by CBS via Getty Images

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Photo by CBS via Getty Images

“Kiss of Death” in “The Godfather: Part II”, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel ‘The Godfather’ by Mario Puzo. Seen here from left, John Cazale (back to camera) as Fredo Corleone and Al Pacino as Don Michael Corleone.

Photo by CBS via Getty Images

Given the fact that Hollywood seems to churn out nothing but sequels, you’d think the industry would have perfected the genre by now.

Some sequels are pretty good, but many believe that the perfect movie sequel came out 50 years ago this month.

Of course, we’re talking about Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: Part II. Not only is it considered the greatest sequel of all time, it is also considered one of the greatest films of all time.

So why do The Godfather II work, and where so many other sequels fall short?

NPR producer Marc Rivers weighs in.

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This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.