DVD Corner's blog

The Untouchables 4K UHD Review

“The Untouchables” remains Brian De Palma’s best work. 

Based on the novel of the same name, 1987’s “The Untouchables” is a gangster tale set in Chicago in 1930 during Prohibition and Al Capone’s reign of crime. The story primarily revolves around Special Agent of the Treasury Department (Eliot Ness) who creates a new task force to try and take down Capone. Aiding him on his mission are an Irish Officer (Jim Malone), an accountant (Oscar Wallace) and a sharpshooting trainee (George Stone).

Director Brian De Palma has had a rather hit-and-miss career, but “The Untouchables” is arguably his finest work. Aside from overdoing it visually with heroic moments and innocent people being caught in the crossfire, this a riveting crime drama based on true events. It succeeds as both a story about a specific time and a place and as a gangster tale thanks to David Mamet’s fresh script. The film has everything you could want from cinema such as snappy dialogue, a hauntingly magnificent score by the great Ennio Morricone, a perfect cast (I’ll get to that shortly), shootouts, and a meaningful story about law, crime, and corruption.

As mentioned above, you can’t ask for a better cast as it includes Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert DeNiro, Andy Garcia, Charles Martin Smith, Billy Drago, and Patricia Clarkson. It’s no secret that Sean Connery steals the movie every second he’s on screen as the wise, aging beat cop (with the best lines) Jim Alone. His work even earned him an Oscar and rightly so. DeNiro is a bit over-the-top as Capone but his larger than life performance still fits. Costner makes a good Eliot Ness, Garcia and Clarkson shine in smaller roles, Charles Martin Smith is deeply underrated (as per usual) and character actor Billy Drago is creepy and menacing as a gangster named Nitti. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.35:1 2160p With Dolby Vision. How does it look? Expect a nice upgrade with impressive image clarity.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? From the shootouts to the incredible score, the Atmos track delivers.

Extras:
* Digital copy
* Theatrical trailer
* “The Script, The Cast” covers how the story came about and casting.
* “Production Stories”- Brian De Palma and others talk about shooting the film.
* “Re-Inventing The Genre”- A featurette about a fresh spin on a gangster story.
* “The Classic”- Various crew members talk about the film’s highlights (including the score) and success.
* “Original Featurette: The Men”- Vintage featurette with cast interviews.

June 1, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Al Capone, Brian De Palma, Eliot Ness, Gangster Movie, Kevin Costner, Robert DeNiro, Sean Connery, The Untouchables 4K UHD Review