i have to defend myself a bit here. i never said it was crappy, i only said that crappy movies have their moments. i didn't think it was as good as any of you, though i do believe i have a knowledge of film. if i had no appreciation for great movies, i would have said the movie was garbage (and i do hate it when my friends can't appreciate a great movie).
that being said, it had a lot more to offer than goodfellas or casino though i found those more enjoyable. the acting was far better in this for one. but i was asked why doesn't it stack up to the godfather. to begin with, i found the godfather's story more engrossing. i can't really argue if someone says OUATIM's story line was better, because that is purely opinion. I found the characters in the godfather more engaging. Besides Diniro and James Woods, there was really no one else that made any impact on me. The acting was good in both, but I'm going to give my nod to the Godfather. The music in the Godfather, in my opinion, is better....though once again that is probably pretty debatable. They are both long movies, but I notice the length less in the Godfather because there is less wasted space. Dramatic effect existed in the Godfather without necessary making it so obvious. This issue is very subjective, and though I think Once Upon a Time in America is an average film, well maybe I was being harsh because i had just finished watching it and was a bit pessimistic....okay I'll say it was above average. Once Upon a Time in America's directing, I will say, is amazing. I really liked the style, but it is no Godfather in my opinion. That's just my take on it.