The story opens in Italy with Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) meeting with Archbishop Gilday (Donal Donnelly) to discuss his contribution of $600 million to the Vatican, followed immediately by the after-party. Instead of dragging its feet, “The Godfather Coda” opens with Corleone doing business to legitimize his family and reputation. And then it dives into an extended sequence that mirrors the wedding from the first film, while also getting Andy Garcia’s Vincent involved.

“I had a whole different destiny planned.” “The Godfather Coda” feels like a film about regret. The oft-quoted line from the film is about “being pulled back in,” referring to the criminal underworld that Michael Corleone is trying to leave behind, but it also refers to the regrets and memories he can’t escape, and the doomed tone of the entire film. The scene in which he confesses to ordering the death of Fredo is stunning, and there’s a bone-deep sense of tragedy that he carries throughout the movie. You can feel the weight of his life on his shoulders. It’s a film about a man constantly fighting the ghosts of his past, whether he’s trying to reunite with Kay (Diane Keaton) or basically dismantling his criminal organization. He’s searching for that move that will allow his mind and soul some peace. And yet Michael is also a smart man who knows the futility of some of his choices, especially as he watches his children pull away from him and his business decisions backfire.

The action set pieces in “The Godfather Coda,” like the helicopter scene in Atlantic City and the massacre at the street festival, aren’t the strongest parts of the saga, but there’s practically no one who can ring more character and tension out of a “meeting” than Coppola. The first act of this new version has simply some of his best filmmaking as we’re reintroduced to Michael Corleone as an old man, figuring out for ourselves where he’s at in life through interactions with Gilday, Vincent, and Joey Zasa (Joe Mantegna). There are great performances throughout these scenes too, particularly from Garcia, who makes a much bigger impact in “Coda” by virtue of being essential earlier. Garcia was always very good here—it’s one of his best performances, a great counter to Pacino’s work. He almost feels like he would have fit right at home in the original films and has that young Pacino energy.

The truth is that the first two “Godfather” movies tell a complete story. There’s no need for a third, and that’s why Coppola avoided making it for years, only succumbing to pressure from Paramount after a few notable financial failures in the ‘80s. And the expectations set by the word “Part” in the title forced comparisons. It never felt like part of the same story. Removing that, making this a “Coda” instead, allows it a different tone.