After seeing Godfather 1, I was disappointed with Godfather 2.  Not that it's bad, 'cause it's not, but it doesn't reach the height of its predecessor.  Instead of a great character arc interjected with dramatic story beats, we get a slower, less intense storyline with almost no character development and flashbacks injected throughout.  I did enjoy this movie throughout its duration (surprising considering its 3-hour runtime),  and there were several aspects of the film I thought were great such as the flashbacks and character beats.  But I would much prefer watching the first, which includes more and better drama in a shorter runtime.  I do recommend Godfather 2, even highly recommend it for people who enjoyed the first, but it never reached the heights of Godfather 1.