Excellent point about these movies always mirroring things that have happened in real life, especially when it comes to the mafia. That is why I want to place my Part IV idea in the world of modern baseball -- or professional sports -- which is run more like the mafia in many ways than a legitimate business.

However, I think it would be very easy to have the modern world of the mafia become cliche in a Godfather movie. The rats, the double crosses, the need for material things, etc... We've seen all of this done in GoodFellas, Donnie Brasco and The Sopranos.

The Godfather was always one step ahead of everyone else -- and if that was the path they took, it wouldn't be the case any longer. You saw the toll that modernization took with Part III -- it de-glamourized the movie. I have a feeling much of the same would happen with a Part IV.

Handled well, I think it could be about as good as one of those films mentioned above, but when it carries the title of The Godfather, it's supposed to be the very best.