| The Untouchables | | Cast : | Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro | | Director : | Brian De Palma | | Studio : | Paramount Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | June 03, 1987 | | DVD Released Date : | October 05, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 22, 2005 | | Summary | Good action yarn but doesn't hold up as a "film" anymore | Content
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Let's clear some things up before I start to review this movie. I like the "Untouchables." It is one of my favorite "movies" right along with "Rocky", "The Terminator" and "Alien." But it is a MOVIE not a film. "Movies" are pure entertainment with no real purpose other than to entertain the viewer. "Films" are, or strive to be, art. "The Pianist", "Shindlers List" and "The Shawshank Redemption" are films.
Critics tend to view "films" more favorably than "movies" and only "films" are nominated for the real Academy Awards (eg. Best Picture, Best Actor, Supporting Actor.)
"The Untouchables" was treated as a "film" when it was first released. Almost universally praised by critics, it even garnered a Best Supporting Actor for Connery.
But "the Untouchables" doesn't hold up as a "film" any longer. Like the Amazon blurb said, it is too obvious and manipulative in too many places. So many scenes are just completely overdone. Consider the scene where Ness and the bailiff escort the man in the white suit outside and confiscate his gun. The man in the suit then produces a note from none other than THE FRIGGIN' MAYOR that allows him to carry the weapon. Basically, the point it tries to drive home is the whole of Chicago is corrupt from top to bottom but it has to make this point so obviously and blatantly that it makes the movie lose merit as a "film."
I am surprised the bad guys didn't carry large sacks with dollar signs on them and Mayor Tom Bailey didn't make a cameo wearing a large sash that read "Mayor" in big letters.
So in conclusion, "The Untouchables" is a good action movie in the same vein as "Scarface" and "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" but it is in essence just a lot of action scenes, set pieces, one after the other. Some of them are memorable and others are just overblown. But if you like the above mentioned "movies" you'll get a kick out of this. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 08, 2005 | | Summary | One of my favorite movie-watching "enthusiasms"... | Content
| Guns, memorable lines, and walls covered with ejected grey matter from ballistic exit wounds. It's a Brian DePalma flick, all right. Throw in a semi-romanticized portrayal of 30s gangland Chicago, tweak the actual historical records of the period to make things more exciting and dramatic, get a few big stars to play the central roles, and THE UNTOUCHABLES becomes the logical result. It's also one of the few good feature films based on a TV series (which in turn was based on the novel by Eliot Ness) out there. Ironically, it's probably this movie more than any other that started the trend of TV show-based cinema, which has been a hit-and-miss affair ever since the string commenced.
Okay, enough praise... time for a few very, VERY slight shortcomings (at least what I consider shortcomings) in this classic-look Mob actioner. Although I doubt that Connery would've won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar were this film released in a different year, a nomination still would've been a certainty. His character Malone definitely gets the best lines, which makes him really stand out from the other three stalwarts. His explanation of "The Chicago Way" to Ness in the church is one of the most memorable moments in movie history. Costner does a pretty good job of playing Ness, but he sometimes appears a bit TOO naïve and inexperienced. And he could've emoted a bit more as well. I'm also somewhat irked that none of the original "Untouchables" TV show principals were given any screen time. They could've at least given Robert Stack a small part or cameo. (Heavy sigh)
Then there's Ennio Morricone's main title that plays during the opening credits, which I'll listen to several times in a row before I let the movie proper commence. It's one of my all-time fave opening titles scores, right up there with "Flash Gordon", "G.I. Joe: The Movie", and "Star Trek VI"! It's not quite at the level of John Williams' "Superman" theme, though... but then, what is?
Then there are the bonus features that come with the "Special Collector's Edition" of the DVD, all of which are behind-the-scenes/making-of featurettes. Which I found a bit of a disappointment; I was hoping they'd included a commentary track at least. Anyhoo, the bonus featurettes pretty much cover the usual stuff: the casting, budgetary concerns, and the principal actors just gushing over the "amazing abilities" of their co-stars. Ya know, just once I'd like to see a DVD bonus featurette where one of the principals just goes off on a cast mate in an interview. I mean, really, howzabout some downright brutal honesty for once, hmmm? Anyhoo, aside from the fact that the studio was considering Bob Hoskins for the role of Al Capone (an idea the director & producer nixed), I didn't find anything all that interesting amongst the mini-docs. Ah well, there's always the movie to watch once again... and the opening credits sequence thrice again, heh.
'Late |
| Rating | | | Date | May 26, 2005 | | Summary | One of De Palma's and Costner's Few Films Worthy of Merit | Content
| Brian De Palma's few films worthy of merit, "The Untouchables" covers the story of Eliott Ness' attempts to bring down the most legendary of all mafia bosses of the 20s and 30s: Al Capone.
The film was blessed with having a good screenplay, script, and a phenomenal cast including Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia and Charles Martin Smith. The story follows Elliot Ness' (Kevin Costner) recruitment of incorruptible (i.e. untouchable) police men to bring down Al Capone's (Robert DeNiro) far reaching syndicate. The story is filled with drama and suspense as the streets of Chicago get sprayed with tommy gun fire coming out of speeding Model-Ts.
The screenplay was great and the script filled with good dialogue. De Palma's direction was actually quite good (a rarity) as was Costner's acting. Actually, Costner's clean-cut all-American persona was ideal for the character of Elliot Ness and they couldn't have chosen a better actor. Sean Connery as the old Irish cop was great as well. By far the greatest performance was Robert De Niro's as Al Capone: De Niro actually made himself gain over 150 lbs. to play the role!
This is an excellent film that carries its story with a fast-paced screenplay and develops its characters with a well prepared script. The cinematography is good and the film is well edited. A good movie to own or rent. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 04, 2005 | | Summary | The Untouchables | Content
| This is a great movie that I was very happy to see. Sean Connery does an excellent job in the film as a mentor to Costner. The ups and downs in the film make it all the more exciting with the "Untouchables" going after the ruthless bootleggers. With a great story, and great acting, I recommend this film. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 10, 2005 | | Summary | Touching The Untouchables | Content
| I saw this movie in 1987 when it came out in the theaters. I was very impressed with the movie. Upon further viewings since 1987, the movie is still a very good movie. Not quite a classic. There is something not there that does not elevate it into a classic film. Robert De Niro is excellent as Capone. Costner does a good job as Elliot Ness. Sean Connery steals the movie with some good one line dialogue. The music is crisp and undated. It is a good movie. Whether it follows the true history of Capone and Ness is questionable.
However, the movie is enjoyable and worth several viewings in one's lifetime. Worth getting on DVD and adding it to your DVD library. |
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