Directed by Brian De Palma, written by David Mamet, impeccable work from composer Ennio Morricone, and starring a powerful cast with Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro and Andy Garcia, The Untouchables is still a fantastic movie 35 years on. Based on the TV series, it brings back the crusading lawman v ruthless gangster storyline set in the 30's. It's brilliantly made.
During the prohibition era in the USA, gangland kingpin Al Capone (Robert De Niro) supplies Chigago with illegal liquor which has built up his empire. He is considered to be the undisputed leader of Chicago and rules the city with an iron fist. He also has all of the politicians and police in his pocket, and nobody dares to cross him. That includes his own men and other rival gangsters. Federal Agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) is tasked to stop Capone and his supplies of alcohol. Due to the widespread corruption in the city, his efforts are hindered following a failed raid and he is left on his own. Ness decides to put together a small group of lawmen that are not influenced by Capone's corruption. The include the veteran patrol officer Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), police recruit George Stone (Andy Garcia), and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith). Not only do they start to succeed in raiding Capone's warehouses full of bootleg alcohol and thwarting his incoming supplies, they also discover that they can also take down Capone on tax evasion. Ness and his men will not back down as Capone declares war.
Brian De Palma did a fantastic job as director. David Mamet who wrote the screenplay was brilliant. Ennio Morricone is well known for his work in movies such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and The Mission (1986). Morricone's soundtrack for this movie is impeccable. The cast is first rate. Kevin Costner's role as Elliot Ness is one of his best roles. Sean Connery deserved to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the aging beat cop Jimmy Malone. Robert De Niro was always brilliant and his role as Al Capone is one of his most memorable roles. Andy Garcia as the sharpshooting police recruit was excellent.
The stairway shootout scene at the Chicago Union Station was and still is a memorable scene. The same goes for Al Capone's speech about baseball and wields a baseball bat during a meeting with his fellow gangsters. If you've seen the movie, I don't have to say any more. If you haven't seen it, you'll soon understand both scenes.
The Untouchables is still a timeless classic. It was excellent viewing when I first hired it out on VHS back in 1997 and I've seen it a few times when it has appeared on TV. I bought it on Blu-ray several years ago and I still pop it on if I'm in the mood for an uplifting and powerful crime classic.
9/10.
During the prohibition era in the USA, gangland kingpin Al Capone (Robert De Niro) supplies Chigago with illegal liquor which has built up his empire. He is considered to be the undisputed leader of Chicago and rules the city with an iron fist. He also has all of the politicians and police in his pocket, and nobody dares to cross him. That includes his own men and other rival gangsters. Federal Agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) is tasked to stop Capone and his supplies of alcohol. Due to the widespread corruption in the city, his efforts are hindered following a failed raid and he is left on his own. Ness decides to put together a small group of lawmen that are not influenced by Capone's corruption. The include the veteran patrol officer Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), police recruit George Stone (Andy Garcia), and accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith). Not only do they start to succeed in raiding Capone's warehouses full of bootleg alcohol and thwarting his incoming supplies, they also discover that they can also take down Capone on tax evasion. Ness and his men will not back down as Capone declares war.
Brian De Palma did a fantastic job as director. David Mamet who wrote the screenplay was brilliant. Ennio Morricone is well known for his work in movies such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) and The Mission (1986). Morricone's soundtrack for this movie is impeccable. The cast is first rate. Kevin Costner's role as Elliot Ness is one of his best roles. Sean Connery deserved to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the aging beat cop Jimmy Malone. Robert De Niro was always brilliant and his role as Al Capone is one of his most memorable roles. Andy Garcia as the sharpshooting police recruit was excellent.
The stairway shootout scene at the Chicago Union Station was and still is a memorable scene. The same goes for Al Capone's speech about baseball and wields a baseball bat during a meeting with his fellow gangsters. If you've seen the movie, I don't have to say any more. If you haven't seen it, you'll soon understand both scenes.
The Untouchables is still a timeless classic. It was excellent viewing when I first hired it out on VHS back in 1997 and I've seen it a few times when it has appeared on TV. I bought it on Blu-ray several years ago and I still pop it on if I'm in the mood for an uplifting and powerful crime classic.
9/10.