While the main distinction between the two were: t Michael never let his temper get in the way of his decision making; and Sonny enjoyed a good time joking around and playing with the ladies, the two had a great deal in common, and non of it good.

Both, unlike their father, were completely dismissive of their subordinates. Vito always went out of his way to compliment his capos and his subordinates, telling them he valued them, giving them places to live, etc., while Santino and Michael were abrupt and cold. Sonny is screwing Lucy and then he tells a bodyguard who has his life on the line for him to stop reading the paper and "save it for the library." Both treat Tom like a dog.

Neither was big on doing favors for people in eschange for future favors. Instead they relied on brute force to get their way.

Both were cold to their wives, unlike Vito.

I think this can be explained by the fact they were raised with silver spoons in their mouths, and they really didn't "know" how things worked on the street. What they saw growing up was their father giving orders and people carrying them out. Imagine, as young men they called Vito's top aides "Genco" "Tessio" and "Clamenza," not Signore or anything respectful.

Vito was quite right when he made the observation "I spoil my children."

I never got the impression that Sonny was "cold" to his wife.

As for being dismissive of his capos, well what about the scene where Michael tells Senator Geary that it would be insulting to send them out of the room while they talked business? Seems like he's showing them some respect there.

In the film(s) Sonny comes off more as an obnoxious jock and Micheal as an emo/proto-goth. While brothers, I think they were fundamentally very different people.

I dunno, dt. Sonny was hot, Michael was cold. Sonny seemed to get involved with people, Michael was distant. Both were ruthless.

I opined in other threads that each one of Vito's boys manifested pretty much just one of Vito's several characteristics. Sonny had Vito's anger, Michael had Vito's intelligence, and Fredo had Vito's affection. While they all had touches of all the characteristics, those above they had in abundance, respectively.

The novel helps flesh this out better than the film. Vito tested Sonny to see his eldest son's reactions. More often than not, Sonny did something that displeased the Don. Unlike himself, Sonny did nothing to hide his emotions. Michael was much more like Vito in regard to not allowing anyone to see his emotions. There was a description in the novel where Michael wanted know one to know the blind hatred and "delicious chilliness" he felt toward his father's enemies. Michael, while assuming power, let friends (Tessio, Clemenza) and enemies underestimate his skills. Much like Vito had years earlier when dealing with Genco, Tessio, and Clemenza.

To his credit, Sonny recognized Michael's hidden strengths. He even gave Michael a little grief after Michael agreed to kill Sollozzo. "You're a Corleone after all and I was the only one who knew it." Sonny said "I've been waiting for you to become my right arm." And also to his credit, Puzo also had Sonny come up with the plan to whack all the heads of the Five Families."

Sonny tells Teresa to "watch the kids" during the wedding as he plans to proposition Lucy....I thought that was cold.

As for Michael praising his capos in front of Geary, I always thought it was more for a show of muscle to geary than anything else.

I agree that Sonnny comes off as an obnoxious goth and Michael a "proto goth" and while they were different people I think they also had a great deal in common... after all they were brothers.