‘The New Godfathers’ Blu-Ray Review – Italian Crime Drama Delivers Steady Entertainment

With the American Mafia families pooling their resources to bring huge quantities of cheap heroin into the country, it’s up to Italian customs official Ivano Radevic (Gianni Garko) to allow the authorities to intercept the drugs en route to the USA. Radevic enters into an unlikely partnership with Naples mob boss Don Francesco Autiero (Mario Merola), whose specialty is cigarette smuggling. Together they enter into an unpredictably violent war on drugs.

For thoughts on The New Godfathers, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

The New Godfathers debuts on Blu-Ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 2.35:1 that is not advertised as being from a new restoration, but looks really good throughout. The very beginning of the movie features what appears to be stock footage that is in pretty rough quality, but once we get to the actual footage shot for this feature we are in business. Some very minor specks of print damage still remain, but they do not rise to the level of being distracting. You can tell this source has been well maintained over the years. 

This transfer reveals a lot of clarity and detail in various aspects of the frame. The close-ups hold up better than most long shots, which can occasionally appear a bit soft. Black levels are fairly firm with some detail in shadows and only a minor amount of crush. Digital noise does not prove to be a cause for concern. Colors are saturated pretty well in a way that brings the most out of the location, and the color grade is pleasant and consistent. Skin tones are natural with distinct features easily noticeable in closeup. Raro Video has provided one of their best presentations yet here. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a decent enough DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Italian with optional English subtitles. Exchanges of dialogue stay focused on the center channel as it comes through clearly without being overwhelmed by competing sounds. Environmental sounds such as engines or gunshots are rendered well alongside everything else. The track maintains a good balance with all competing elements so that dialogue comes through clearly. The energetic score radiates out in an appealing manner throughout the duration of the film. There does not seem to be any major instances of age-related wear and tear, but you can spot some areas where the source is not in the best shape. This audio presentation gets the job done.

Special Features

• The New Godfathers – US Release Version: An option to watch the film with an English dub. 

• Tough-Guy Film Expert Mike Malloy on The New Godfathers: A 16-minute video essay with Malloy in which he delves into the popularity of Italian crime cinema before transitioning specifically to this entry, its place at the tail-end of the genre’s popularity, the way in which it attempted to break out internationally and more. This is quite entertaining and informative. 

Final Thoughts

The New Godfathers is a really entertaining bit of cinema released in the waning days of popularity from this crime drama genre. The film is paced well with a cast that brings some believable stakes to this dangerous world. While not the absolute best the genre has to offer, it delivers pretty much everything fans want in an Italian crime film. Raro Video and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a couple of good supplemental features. If you really like films of this ilk, this is a fine addition to your collection. Recommended 

The New Godfathers is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Raro Video and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.