I wanted to know what became of Michael et all, so I welcomed a III. While the III that was produced pales by comparison with I and II, it still contained the climatic pathos that befit the Michael character that we've all come to know, love, hate, despise, and endlessly analyze.
I still feel it would've been better if it was left open to our own imagination. I'm sure Turnbull would've started some great threads on his thoughts of what happened to Michael if part III was never made..
Since GFIII was Paramount's idea, not FFC's, I have to assume that the ending of GFII showed Michael as FFC wanted us to remember him: contrasting the ruthless, vindictive Don who listened to the gunshots that killed his brother on his command, with the naïve, idealistic lad who signed on for the Marines on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked (flashback). I thought that served as a pretty good summary of what happened to Michael Corleone, and a reinforcement of the overall theme: Crime Doesn't Pay!
