Coppola has made some solid contributions. We all know what they are, so I'm going to skip them. Except for one...

In 1997, he directed Grisham's "The Rainmaker" (Didn't see it)

In 2000, he directed "Supernova", but he cut the kite string on this one and let it drift away as "uncredited". (Well, wouldn't you if you had to scrape bottom for James Spader as the lead?) It was an outerspace movie where something goes terribly wrong. I think he had this film in mind.

Then, in 2007...10 years after the last film he would attach his name to...he released "Youth Without Youth". With Tim Roth...who I think is aging brilliantly as an actor...in the lead, Coppola creates a film of substance. The story-line is about an aging man (Roth), who's life quest is to find the origin of Language. He gets struck by lightning and begins to "grow young". Placed in the late'30s in Europe, The Nazis seek him out for study. That's all I'm going to say about that.

The film is superb and far beyond the reach of the average film-goer. It is chromatic, textured, haunting and challenging. We watched it at least 6 times in two days. But, it will not rise above obscurity...

Good filmaker, especially early on. I think I am one of the few people to like Bram Stokers Dracula, despite Keanu Reeves wooden acting. And I don't even need to mention the Godfather trilogy. However, he also sent us "JACk" and "One From The Heart. " I guess you can't win them all.

Coppolla is one of the best legendary directors of all time. He does so great in his work, he rocks. My best film that he did was The Godfather.

Looking at Coppola's entire career, I would have to say that his work as a director may be a bit overrated, relying too heavily on his reputation earned by "The Godfather" (1972) and "Apocalypse Now" (1979). Mob movies aren’t generally my cup of tea, but the character development in the former is undeniable, and the latter in an excellent modern revision of "Heart Of Darkness". However, films like "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Tucker: The Man And His Dream" were sub par notwithstanding formidable acting talent.

Miles ahead of his contemporaries like Spielberg and Lucas as far as vision goes. Even his minor films like Tucker and One From the Heart are imaginative and fabulous productions.

The Godfather Trilogy is enough for a 5, but his writing and film-making shall place him in the top tier.

The Godfather is rightfully a classic,and Apocalypse Now broke all the rules and some new cinematic ground,as well.(Very effective use of Nam ers music in that film.)His version of Dracula was far superior to any other I've seen.

When I think of Francis Ford Coppola, I instantly recall images of 'The Godfather Trilogy'. A brilliant director who could tell two stories at the same time (see 'The Godfather, Part II), Coppola's movies have become a staple in the art of filmmaking in the college classrooms of would-be cinematograhers and movie directors. Granted, not all his films are great, but to judge him any less than the master he is would be unjust as Coppola's movies have withstood the test of time.

The Godfather is easily one of the worst movies of all time filled with senseless violence and not a likable character to be found...Apocolypse Now is a terribly depressing and dark war film...The Outsiders is exactly the kind of vision of the 50s I don't want to see--with depressing homelessness and gang violence. Coppola hasn't directed any good movies, that's for sure.

The Godfather movies alone will definitely assure him a place in film history. A good director can hold your interest in a film from start to finish, and that's what he does in those films. I think all three were over three hours long, and yet you don't feel like you've been sitting there that long. Apocalypse Now just couldn't hold my interest for the entire length of the film, but you can still see why it's a film worth watching. My favorite of his films is one that is very underrated--Bram Stoker's Dracula. The images and characters are so vivid, it makes you forget the old Bela Lugosi film entirely. All in all, he's an excellent director, and as a sidenote, he even had George Lucas as an understudy at one point.

He may have been great in his early days but over the last couple of decades I feel like he's just been wasting his time and mine both. He seems to be trying to be artistic and glorify rebellion but the quality just isn't there anymore.

He made "Jack", "Peggy Sue got married", "Dracula", "Rumble Fish (remember?) ....and have you seen how many lamps there are in "The Goodfather"????.....Yeah, he tended to romanticize the bad people (his films were very much about looks and cinematography) but he also had great vision for big issues (vietnam, mob ), the eye to shoot landscapes, set designs, violence, and provided images with fantastic music (Apocalypse now, The Godfather series)

If I gave the director of "Apocalypse Now" and "The Godfather" anything less than five stars, I'd be afraid that a lightning bolt would strike me down the next time I walked outside. I'd probably deserve it. Have you ever seen the documentary about the making of "Apocalypse Now"? It really gives you an appreciation for how hard Coppola worked on the film and how much of himself he put into it. He had all kinds of problems getting it made, and he had to put up a lot of his own money. But he had a vision, and he was gutsy and stubborn enough to steamroll over every obstacle in his way. And with "The Godfather," Coppola added a second masterpiece to his resume, cementing his reputation as a genius. Sure, he also directed unremarkable pictures like "Peggy Sue Got Married," but so what? The guy is a legend.