The Long Term Appeal of Road to Perdition (SPOILERS)

There are a lot of posters on here who rag on this movie for its pace, casting, story, violence, etc. I understand; most mob films are measured up to the Godfather, which is almost perfect with its story and characters, and this movie seems almost like a cheaper version of the tale. But what truly makes it stand on its own is the fact that it's a father-son story far more than a crime thriller- which, unfortunately, it was marketed as by Dreamworks. The good qualities, thankfully, are more numerous than what drags it down.
I know a lot of people don't buy Tom Hanks as a gun-toting angel of death, or Paul Newman as a feared Irish mob boss, but they weren't cast to act as stereotypical characters. The movie tries to show us that these people are just regular human beings, who happen to regard violence as a way of life. Keep in mind that back in the day, even in the relatively modern atmosphere of the 1930's, violence was more common than most people admit. Michael Sullivan and John Rooney grew up in a time when life in America was extremely difficult for Irish immigrants; they don't bat an eyelash when guns get pulled. It's not very far-fetched to think that gangsters were relatively normal, with normal wishes and families. Hanks and Newman excel at showing us that human side throughout.
As for pacing and story- this was never intended to be Scarface or a Cagney gangster romp. This is a dark film, and it's slow because Sam Mendes wants us to get to know these guys. Why not take a little time to set up who Michael Sullivan, Jr is, and how he relates to his father? It's their story, and it unfolds extremely well. At the same time, while not as explicit, we see the other father-son dynamic of the Rooneys, and the final dynamic of Michael Sr and John. Like the Godfather, we see that the violent nature of these men's lives are passed down from generation to generation. Unlike the Godfather-and Michael Corleone- Michael Sr is willing to risk his own life to make sure that his surviving child never goes down the road he had to.
The best reason why the movie works well, and is still worth watching after multiple times, is Michael Sullivan Jr. Even after seeing his father at his job, and knowing that the man he calls Dad is a hitman, he- and the audience- still see the good man that exists alongside the evil deeds. The payoff is seeing Michael rejecting the violence of his father's world, and making his father's sacrifice mean something.