 | |  |  | | Media: | HD DVD | | Country: | USA | | Studio: | Paramount Home Entertainment | | Cert: | R | | Discs: | 1 |
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| Review Scores | | Movie |  | | Picture | | | Sound |  | | Extras | | | Overall | | | Review Verdict | | The Untouchables worked for De Palmer ensuring his continued success, it worked for the studio that brought life back to a tired franchise, it worked for many of the actors who received Academy Awards or went on to become household names, but most of all it worked for the viewing public in being a rip roaring film, high on action and high on drive. As an HD DVD package Paramount have put together a great set, the outstanding picture and sound are backed up by some pretty decent extras, even if there isn’t any HD Exclusive content. Watch and enjoy. | | Overall score : 8 | | Movie | | The Untouchables | | Date | 1987 | | Genres | Drama
Action
Crime | | Director | | Brian De Palma | | Stars | Andy Garcia
Kevin Costner
Robert De Niro
Sean Connery |
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Screen captures are for illustration purposes and may not originate from the item reviewed. | | The Untouchables Review| HD DVD review written by Simon Crust, published 20th July 2007 | Supplied for review by  | Back in the eighties, since the critical and commercial success of Scarface (1983) Brian De Palmer’s directing career meandered a little. His next two films bombed and he actively looked into a lavish studio production that would see him return to commercial success, for the purely selfish reason to continue making the films he wanted to make. The film he chose to take on was Paramount’s The Untouchables, another gangster movie. At the time seen as a rehash of a tired TV franchise, De Palmer nevertheless took the reigns and ran head first into the storm. With a gaggle of huge talent both in front of and behind the camera and a tight script he produced one of the best films of the year winning the critical and commercial success he so desired.
The plot of the film is a simple one, the bringing down of the most notorious gangster of our time Al Capone, Mayor of Chicago in all but position, during the insanity that was Prohibition by the treasury agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) on charges of Income Tax evasion; proving once and for all that no one can escape the tax man. The films charts Ness’ escapades as he battles against corruption within the police force leading him to set up a select group of incorruptible colleagues, in this fictionalised tale he had three members in his untouchable squad. First up is Jim Malone (Sean Connery in an Oscar winning role) as a tough no nonsense beat cop; it is with him that Ness gains the experience, the necessary will and the edge he needs to take on the gangsters. Next is George Stone (a very young Andy Garcia) as the newest recruit, fresh from the academy, crack shot and hard as nails. The final member is Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith) an accountant who comes up with the idea to prosecute Capone for tax evasion. Together these four men go through hell and back, loosing half their members to finally bring justice to the city.
The casting of Robert De Niro as Al Capone was a coup indeed, such a larger than life character needed an actor that can command performance, amazing that he wasn’t the first choice. Using a combination of fat suits and the same high calorie diet used for Raging Bull (1980) De Niro simply becomes Capone; bringing a sadistic charm to the part; all smiles and joking and in the blink of an eye a murderous thug. In stark contrast to Costner’s Ness who seems for the most part out of his depth, echoing the character, but with youthful doggedness and a hunger Costner brings life to what is essentially a ‘stiff’ character. In fact all the characters have a life, De Palmer’s style is such that each and every character has something to say. Malone and Wallace have gradual build-ups leaving their eventual demise as shocking truths. This kind of shock is needed because De Niro is so charming as Capone he is in danger of looking like the good guy; even his brutal slaying of a henchman by a baseball bat is largely forgivable.
Lavishly shot by Stephen H. Burum and scored by the genius that is Ennio Morricone it seems that nothing could go wrong, and indeed nothing could (if we ignore the quite appalling accents from Connery as Irish and De Niro who slips into New York drawl more than once). The script takes us from the grime of the street to the pristine outlook of the most expensive hotels, to the vast grasslands of Montana to the confines of a stairwell shootout. De Palmer, amazing as it may seem, manages to improve upon the Battleship Potemkin (1925) scene by employing that silence that so often encompasses fright. Even in the end, the courtroom plea to the judge in a passionate speech on the monstrosities he has committed all in the name of justice, Ness is the everyman holding back the dyke of corruption. His triumph is assured and we at once cheer with him. The Untouchables is a terrific film, one that holds up as well today is it ever will.
Movie score : 8 | | 704 word review written by Simon Crust. |  | To comment on this review, click here and post a reply.
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