How could Michael allow Vincent to take over? I mean, fair enough Andy Garcia did a good job with him, but he was no Don. Surely Michael could have found someone slightly more subtle, even Al Neri would be a better choice I think if he couldn't find a blood replacement. He was exactly like Sonny, couldn't Michael see that he'd destroy the family, he's supposed to be shrewd and intelligent. Maybe he was slipping in his old age?

I mean:
"I say we make em dead! You give the order, I take care of it!"

I agree with you, I told everybody here before Al Neri deserves to be the Don because of his loyalty to Michael all these years. And Vincent did not make a carrear from soldier to caporegime, and you know... Al Neri did it. Some people say it would be the same as making Luca Brasi a Don, but Neri is more clever than Luca Brassi. And I think he is qualified enough to take over. But some people here say it was a strategic move making Vincent a Don, but I think it is the biggest mistake Michael has done in his whole life. Vincent will take the family to drug business, which Vito and Michael have avoided. And that would be the end for them.

Welcome, Don Jimbob.
As I posted before, Michael recognized Vincent as a violent pazzo who had limited use to him going forward. I believe he offered Vincent the Donship as a quid pro quo for giving up his courtship of Mary. I think that if Michael had had his way, Mary would have married someone truly "legitimate." He (Michael) would have been increasingly "legitimate" through his domination of International Immobiliare. Vincent would have been the head of a shrinking "olive oil business"--the ever-diminishing "illegitimate" end of the Corleone enterprise. Vincent would have provided just enough threat and muscle to keep the vultures away from Michael. But Vincent would have had no part in Michael's going-forward life.

I think Michael Corleone's decision to allow Vincent Mancini to become Boss of the Corleone Family was a great idea for the same reasons as Turnbull.

I think Michael letting Vince be the Don was a good idea as well.....time were changing, just like when they changed for Don Vito, they were changing for Michael.....Vincent was better suited to "take it to the streets" which is where the businesses were going.......

Barry, I know the times change but Vito`s opinion about drugs will live trough those times.

No, no, no.....I didn't mean "take it to the streets" as meaning drugs.....I meant......Michael didn't have the ice in his heart anymore to kill or have people killed.....in order to assure the survival of the family, someone who had that "ice" in their veins needed to be in charge....that is what I meant.
sorry for the confusion.

Wow Turnbull that's an excellent way to explain it. I think I'll choose to believe that, it makes me sad to think that Michael had lost it.

Turnbull's point is well taken, but what I dont get is how Vincent transforms so quickly. He goes from a thug biting Zasa's ear off to a well dressed, sophisticated assistant Don who in Sicily 1) Confers with Dontomassino; 2) Is able to fool Altobello; and 3) Is placed in charge of settling all family scores AND providing security at the opera house.

Because FFC could only make the movie 3 hours long!

I always thought that they could have at least shown us more of Michael and Vincent together, showed Michael tutoring Vincent more that the one or two scenes that they did.

Don Cardi

Well said, DC! We could give FFC and Puzo the benefit of the doubt--that after Michael sternly shouted his disapproval of Vincent's assassination of Zasa without Michael's ok ("I still command this family...that is not what I wanted...never give that kind of order again...") Vincent might have taken it as tutoring and mended his ways. But I doubt it. I'm with dt here--and I'm saying it's another example of poor direction and poor continuity.
DC, to your point about the movie being "only" three hours long : One of my erudite movie pals, after seeing it with me for the first time, remarked, "There must be 18 hours of film--whole scenes and chapters--on Paramount's cutting room floor."

Its a small point, but Vincent also apparently learned how to shave other people.

Yes, it's that great "Barber of Seville" tradition so popular among Italian-Americans. (But the music blaring from that Sicilian hotel window sounded like Elvis Costello, not Rossini.)

Yes it was definitely Elvis Costello... I didn't hear anyone singing Figaro Figaro Figaro Figaro