The Untouchables  (1987)

We only watched the first 40 minutes of this film.It was so unbelievable... And as for Sean Connery trying to play an irishman!! Didnt work.. As if matters werent bad enough costner decides to recruit an audit clerk as part of his tough gang to wipe out the baddies.... It was laughable. Maybe after the first 40 minutes it improved dramatically, or maybe we just missed the point??

Kevin Costner plays a federal agent in prohibition era Chicago. His mission in life is to take down Al Capone, bootlegger, murderer, and unwritten ruler of Chicago. With the help of Sean Connery (who has what can only be described as a non-existent Irish accent), he forms a band of what is apparently the only four non-corrupt police in Chicago, and somehow manages to defeat hundreds of gangsters. I'm sensing slight exaggeration of the true story. This could have been a good film. It really had potential – great sets, nice cast (Robert De Niro is totally not typecast as Al Capone), and if you can get past a) the fact that they should have made Sean Connery’s character Scottish rather than make him attempt an Irish accent and b) the disastrous soundtrack which serves to create comedy rather than tension, it’s OK. Also, you have to believe that women have no dimension at all. Kevin Costner’s character’s wife is pathetically underdeveloped, and for some strange reason, glows. There’s also a really weird scene where Kevin Costner lets a baby carriage, with a baby in it, fall down a really long flight of stairs, while the baby’s mother screams and falls over in slow motion. Instead of getting up and running after the baby, she waits for Kevin Costner to finish shooting about twelve people, and then he runs after the baby. He stops again halfway down to shoot about three other people, and Andy Garcia has to do this bizarre, like, dance move to stop the baby getting to the last step, which, if you ask me, was pointless, because if that carriage can deal with bouncing down the longest staircase in the world, it can deal with returning to flat ground. Aside from all that, I wouldn’t advise against watching this film, but only do it if you really like shooting. Or have nothing better to do. Or you are a boy. And don’t expect a Goodfellas or Carlito’s Way.

This is one of the most underated films of all time.It is gory but stylish and slick.Rob De Niro seems born to play Al Capone while Sean Connery thoroughly deserved his Oscar,though Kevin Costner should have been nominated

This film has got to be one of the all-time mobster flicks!!! I loved it and have watched it over and over again!!! Its not as brutal as some more modern gangster films such as 'The Goodfellas'!!! The films plot is great, really gets inside the story of Al Capone in the prohibition peroid of the 30's!!! Theres some twist and turns in the film i didnt expect wich kept me watching!!! Loved this film, its got loads of gun fights and action, one of my all-time favourites!!! Good film but if your into brutal, blood spillin gangster films, i wudnt recomend it!!!

Quite how the epic creative triptych of De Palma, Mamet and De Niro came up with this mess is a mystery. Fabulous sets and production design fail to mask the fact that this is A) about as historically accurate as Bugsy Malone B) a cliche-ridden mess and C) dreadfully-scripted. The plot's rushed, the characters are underdeveloped and De Niro's (admittedly brilliant) scenes feel strangely detached from the rest of the film. And the less said about Connery's accent, the better.

A Classic, if you like gangster movies like sopranos, godfather...anything along those lines....then u gotta watch the Untouchables. Gotta!

Full of suspense, violence and dramatic intensity-based on the real life of what many believe to the be the most notorious gangster of the 20th Century. Oh, and the Battleship Potemkin homage is a stomach churning gem, pretty good! ***

Very dated movie, not like other classics of the 80s, which was suprising considering the cast. I couldnt decide whether it was serious or comedy. It was watchable but it is making 'the top 100' list of various categories which I dont think it deserves.

one of the best crime/drama movies in the last 20 years. Right from the start, we are introduced to the violence and corruption that gripped the city during these tough times.
may not be true to history but who cares. The gangsters and the cops are ruthless in their dealings with each other, and their is plenty of blood.

Brilliant movie. A little violent for me at times, I did have to close my eyes on occasions, but never the less an excellent film. Sean Connery was marvellous,[took his time to die though!], add Kevin Costner, Robert de Niro and a whole host of other talents and it all added up to a great movie

In my opinion the best gangster film ever made!

This has got to be one of the best movies made. All the acting was second to none. I shall watch this again and again. Fantastic.

A good all-round movie but simplistic and broad-brushed in its portrayal as gangster as all-bad and cops as all-good. Worth watching against the Godfather movies, Goodfellas etc which tell the stories from the gangster's point of view.

Enjoyed this film - amazing direction and some incredible set pieces. Found Sean Connery's presence slightly irritating - he didn't bother to put on an American accent and although his name was Malone he didn't have an Irish one either. Despite this minor criticism, this film is definitely worth seeing.

a classic i love this film

This was an enjoyable film with a great cast - for me the only major let down was the accent of Connery. Why oh why do producers try to get actors to do an accent that they are not comfortable with. A better example of where it went wrong is casting Costner in Robin Hood and asking him to do an english accent throughout.

An accurate portrayal of the story of Elliot Ness's tireless crusade to bring Al Capone to justice would not make a very good film given that, as most people know, the two never met and Ness could only convict Capone on charges of tax evasion. Therefore it has to be admitted that De Palma has managed to make this a very entertaining story, albeit by re-writing large chunks of history. The story he presents is hugely enjoyable and marred by only a couple of minor things; most notably Connery's inexplicable accent that veers from Irish to Scottish and several bizarre sounding places inbetween. De Palma's usual style is present, treading the fine line between homage and rip off, in this instance the Odessa Steps sequence from The Battleship Potemkin is reshot and feels altogether out of place. Ripe for the various spoofs that have made it now difficult to watch without smiling. De Niro's performance too switches between engrossing and an almost pantomime baddie level of over-the-top. All in all this film is best enjoyed without taking things too seriously. An excellent story, decent performances, convincing setting and truly memorable music but a few things that when noticed may very well make you laugh out loud.

This a fast-moving, all action film with memorable characters, crackling dialogue and loads of shooting. Great performances from Sean Connery, Kevin Costner and Robert de Niro. Whilst I agree that the film had a few flawed moments, such as the ridiculous and pointless scene where the baby in a pushchair slides down a station staircase, these few lapses in quality did not diminish my enjoyment. Just sit back, switch off your brain and enjoy. Strongly recommended.

A VERY GOOD FILM HERE YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED STARS KEVIN COSTNER & SEAN CONERY

An entertaining gangster movie, with a younger Robert DeNiro playing the party of Al Capone. I checked the history for this film and it is quite acurate with regards to the down-fall of the real Al capone. Did you know that Al Capones empire generated around $100,000,000 a year, and that he was the first to introduce 'Soup Kitchens' during the 1929 stock market crash and depression. Al Capone also served a part of his prison sentence at Alcotraz and was put in the 'Black Book' amongst 28 of the most wanted and notorious criminals of all time... naughty boy!

watched this many years ago and happy to say its stood the test of time.shame kevin costner hasn,t.Good story line with good acting and who can forget the pram scene

Well what can i say, have taken a trend at the moment to gangster style films and this is just brilliant.. Never took much intrest in the film when it was first released but im so glad now that it's in my collection of films ive seen. Well recomend

Brilliant! Apart from Sean Connery s dodgy accent,this is pure class,in line with Goodfellas and Casino. I watch it again and again cause its that good!

I watched this movie a long time ago. It's wasn't how I remembered it. Good performance from Sean Connery.

I hate it when you rewatch a movie you saw when you were younger and ruin the memory of it. This is hackneyed rubbish.

A true slick refined film if ever i saw one. Definetly one the best gansgter/polic movies ever. Carefully and skillfully paints of picture of the prohibition days and shows it as it should be. The seen where Kevin Kostner Pulls up to his house with the gangster outside commenting on his happy family is scary! And the train station scene is equally riveting. Andy Garcia also makes his mark.. Must watch film for sure.

I have watched this film many times and still really enjoy it.

The clip where Robert De Niro attacks one of his men at the table, still turns my blood cold. I find it so amazing that this is an adaptation of a true story, people like that really existed? Such a barbaric time!!!

I used to think this was such a great film, back when I used to enjoy Kevin Costner films. This is a real shame because this film has all the potential to be such a good film. De Niro still in his prime being a great unrecognisable Al Capone and even better Sean Connery as the cop on the beat hard man. Also, Brian De Palma directing, how can this film not be a 6 out of 7 film? Well, compared to the other actors Kevin Costner is such a wooden actor and Andy Garcia really makes this situation worse, even though his role isn't that big to lay the blame heavily on his shoulders. Still worth a watch, but definitely a 5 out of 7.

Having read the mixed reviews for The Untouchables I felt compelled to write my first review on Lovefilm.

The Untouchables is a superb movie and anyone who hasn't seen it should definitely do so. It's definitely a 6/7 and I did even consider a 7/7. I just wish there were more movies of this very high standard.

Sean Connery makes the movie for me but Kevin Costner is also excellent in the lead role. The movie feaures great atmosphere and tension throughout. With a superb climax in the famous train station scene.

Actually writing this has made me want to watch it again ... I think I'll add it to my rental queue ASAP!

I hope you enjoy this classic.

If you havent seen it you've got to!!!!

Good old fashioned ganster movie, with star Kevin Costner & Sean Connery. One for the boys

Easily the best film i've ever seen, great acting all round

More stylishly in keeping with LA Confidential than Goodfellas, Brian De Palmas often over-looked crime buster is an engaging, well acted and entertaining thriller. The bloody shoot-outs seem more suited to an 18 certificate than of the 15 rating that it carries. As De Niro and Connery chow down on the the scenery the main mystery within this movie is why De Palma didn't feature more scenes of these two fine actors together? As far as I can remember they don't ever share screen time. Still, fine OTT performances from both thesps with a hilarious fight scene courtesy of Connery and the Chicago chief of police. More of a sumptous feast for the eyes than brain food, this in nonetheless a highly enjoyable way to spend an evening indoors.

One of the worst films I have ever seen. The plot is based on actual events during prohibition in America. However, it isn't the plot that's the problem. Sean Connery plays Jimmy Malone with an embarassingly bad Irish accent and wooden features. There is not enough time spent on De Niro's excellent Al Capone, who I thought was far more interesting than any of the cops. The ending is extremely predictable as are most of the gory deaths throughout the film. Strangely for a violent film, there are far too many emotive scenes in which the viewer is supposed to sympathise with the cops on their mission to sober up Chicago.

I saw this film years ago when it 1st came out and have watched it several times since and it still keeps me engrossed. the acting from Connery & co is superb, the storyline keeps your attention plus the blood & gore in some scenes kept me hooked. Well worth watching & maybe some day some one will buy me a copy to keep!

WITH THE CAST THAT ARE IN THIS MOVIE, HOW COULD IT FAIL TO BE OTHER THAN BRILLIANT. THE STORY IS WELL TOLD, ONE MANS DETERMINATION TO PUT AWAY THE BAD GUYS, DE NIRO AND HIS GANG AGAINST THE OUTNUMBERED GOOD GUYS KOSTNER AND CONNERY AN EPIC FILM ONE TO WATCH AGAIN AND AGAIN

The Untouchables is magnificent. Brian De Palma at his greatest. The Odessa-steps-inspired sequence towards the climax of the film is virtually unmatched in modern cinema. It literally pins you in your seat... or on the edge of it. There are shades of Scarface at times, but De Palma wisely restrains himself when necessary, pacing the story assuredly and knowing exactly when and how to unleash the action and tension, doing so with style and elegance. An untouchable cast: De Niro is at his rotund, scene-stealing finest as Al Capone, Sean 'You're muckin' with a 'G' here, pal!' Connery is forceful and dominant on screen, Kevin Costner is brilliant and very convincing as the Capone-obsessed, family man, Elliot Ness and Andy Garcia has a dead cool role. American Graffiti's Charles Martin Smith is also first-rate. Tremendous score, beautifully designed and edited suspense sequences, meticulous period design, costumes by Armani, scripted by Mamet. An excellent, must-see Mafia epic.

The brilliance of this film is Robert de NIro in a role he was born to play and the fact it was roughly based on the most interesting story of the thirties. yet it never hits heights - the small clever pieces of dialogue at the beginning and towards the end highlight what is lacking in the remainder. i remain content but disappointed at the lack of fulfilment of potential.

I loved this film it has a great cast even tho it has sad parts.

Overall, a good film of the Gangster genre. All leads are good, Connery especially so. I did find the accountant character slightly irritating though. Great costumes and locations, with a memorable score by Morricone.

like the title says, this isnt really a bad attempt at recreating the gangster laden chicago of the 30's. from the start it was blessed really with what can only be described as a truly remarkable cast. a lot of that has to be down to director brian de palma and his credentials. robert de niro is perfect as al capone, cant think of anybody else i'd rather see play him. as for kevin costner this was definately one of his better performances of his career. think a lot of the success for this has to be down to the setting though. for me it really did set it aside from other attempts at the genre. the mood really was captured very well, and took you back to the time with which it was trying to recreate.

This is a truly dreadful film. The characters are one-dimensional and clunky. The plot simply laughable. The scene in the train station is contrived. The denouement blatantly infeasible. The only thing worth watching in this film is De Niro's terrific Al Capone. Watching each scene he plays in is like walking into an oasis cinematic excellence in a desert of mediocrity. If you have a brain, do NOT watch this film.

Some extraordinary cinematographic sequences do not help to enhance this slow moving, badly sciripted film. I was led to believe that David Mamet (scriptwriter) is a star when it comes to drama but on this occasion, it would appear, he has failed to sharpen his pencill. This coupled with one of the worst pieces of acting I have ever witnessed from a professional performer, namely Sean Connery, makes for an extremely dull movie. I felt sorry for Kevin Costner who had to act along sde him for the best part of the film and had absolutely nothing to spark off. This is a very poor film

I grew up with this film and loved it. I rented it again just recently because I had forgotten about it and had the urge to relive my youth! If you can see (or hear) past Sean Connery's Irish/Scottish/American accent then it's a great little story. I'd forgotten the anticipation that is built up in some of the scenes especially with Robert De Niro who plays a magnificent Capone. With a young Garcia and Costner and the infamous pram scene - what more could you want?!

missed this on tv the other week. the years have been kind to this film. it still looks great. costner is a bit wooden, but no more or less than any of his other movies.

Being old enough to have watched the original series of the 'untouchables' on the TV, was looking forward to a 'gangster' type movie but wondered if in fact this was meant as either a comedy or a take off as it was completely unbelievable. Never seen such major male stars all having such disastrous performances. Completely missable - don't waste your time with this one

This film is fantastic. The music, the characters, the story it is all brilliant. I've seen this over 20 times and will continue to re-watch it. Connery and Costners relationship is great and the other Untouchables have great personalities too. Connery has some great one liners and Robert De Niro as Al Capone is perfect. Definetely in my top 10 greatest films of all time..

A very dull movie with very good actors - poor things!

The opening aerial shot looking down on Robert De Niro as Al Capone with a short blurb setting the scene makes you feel like you're about to watch a subtle gangster movie in the guise of The Godfather, Goodfellas or Casino, maybe more due to the appearance of De Niro. However as the movie progresses the depiction of The Untouchables as real heroes pushes the 'Hollywood' button a bit too far. De Niro steals the show as Capone but has far too little screen time for such a well developed character. Costner's Elliot Ness is good, but with a script laden with witty one-liners brings down the mood of what should be a decent gangster story. Sean Connery is an odd choice for a sidekick but plays his part well and fully deserved his Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

very enjoyable gangster movie, even by todays standards, good acting from all the charachters, bought it the other day for £5, wat a bargin, anyone who likes gangster movies will love this,anything with robert de-niro in is gold in my opinion

You have to be a fan of The Untouchables to rave about it. Well I am and it is a great film, a classic with some great actors. Connery, De Niro, Garcia and Costner star. Based on the true story of Elliot Ness (Costner) and his band of man (inlcuding Connery) who were above the corruption of the 30s mobsters, led by Al Capone (De Niro). Alot of cops were being paid off to take a blind eye to liquor selling during the Prohibition era. Elliot Ness and his men couldnt be paid off and they became known as The Untouchables. A great story, a difficult time in American history and great acting. If you havent seen it, watch it!!

Exellent, worth seeing

Don't listen to all the naysayers who complain of cheesey dialogue, fickle Irish accents and historical liberties so wildly inaccurate they make a sawn-off shotgun look like a sniper's rifle. They're all completely right of course - but just don't listen to them. Instead block out their girlish whining with a proper gangster flick studded with set-piece shoot-outs, merciless mob bosses, brain-splattered baseball bats and a baby-saving, baddie-slaying station steps slug-swap! Hooray! Honestly, what more do you want?

What let down of a film. Thought it looked great when I rented but half way through started thinking, I hope I'm not the only person out there who can see that this film is simply not that good. With the story line and line up at their disposal, this was a thoroughly poor job. SC's accent...dear god...

All a bit ridiculous. I was expecting something poignant, and perhaps a little plausible but the tone of this entire film jumped between that of a cheesy daytime soap opera to over the top comic book violence.

classic , definitely worth at least one watch. ive bought it!

interesting to find out how difficult it is to quosh corruption, and how Alfonse (not got quite the same ring to it as Al!) was beaten by the back door. It's a slow film by today's standards which means you can blink without fear of missing out on something.

What a brilliant film from start to finish. It was a film i watch twice and still enjoyed the film.

To everyone and anyone who has seen or not seen this movie, forget about all the overhype that these reviews mention. Enjoy this movie for what it is worth which is a classic american tale told by hollywood in spectacular fashion. I am an irish guy and Connery's accent is what makes the charm of the movie.

ended very abruptly but all in all a very good film.

There are a few major spoilers in this review, but believe me this film can't be ruined any more than it already is. This film is laughably bad. I ordered it expecting a down-to earth gritty take on the Al Capone story as he is hunted down by the fierce determined Chicago cops. Instead I got Batman and Robin without the extravagant costumes. Al Capone (as played by De Niro in one of his less stellar performances) is a very cartoonish villain (as is the entire cast). He reminded me in many ways of the Penguin from the Batman series, that is, over the top and hyperbolic. Garcia's character was bland and boring and wasted on such a talent. Kevnin Costner was passable but by God his dialogue (and literally all the dialgoue in the entire film) was cheesily hilarious to listen to. The music was equally cheap sounding and every time it came into the fore I thought I would see Batman and Robin running towards the screen in their zany costumes. As for Sean Connery, I am in disbelief that he won the oscar for his performance. Granted he was the best thing in the film with his comedic moments (which were meant to be funny as opposed to the vast majority of the films unintentionally humourous content) but his 10 minute death scene after having been riddled by a Tommy Gun broke the boundaries of disbelief, not to mention his comical gurgling and cliched 'reaching for the plot device in his death throes' malarkey they used. Not to forget his poor Irish accent (which was basically his real Scottish accent). His standout moment was blowing the corpses brains out, which was hilarious but along with the terrible cliched camera work (e.g. first person perspective and zooming in on the eyes in a dramatic scene) this film was, to say the least, disappointing. It is however a film that is so bad its good, but nothing I'd pay any sort of money to see. As soon as Connery dies however, it loses any appeal it might have had.

Kevin Costner is a limited actor but he is perfectly cast as the naive, and not necessarily likeable (which makes his character credible) goody two shoes. Connery is also well cast in the wise old beat cop role. It is all 'hammed up' but deliberately so to recreate the feeling/acting of the era it is paying homage to. Superbly directed and some great tension in the set piece sequences partcularly in the build up to Connery's shooting. The Capone henchman who hounds Costner (actor?) is also perfecly sinister and De Niro again is superbly OTT as Capone - his performance fits the movie. The music/use of music is brilliant, particularly in the tense set pieces. Great Movie.

Once a classic always a classic.

This was a good film but I had watched Goodfellas two night before watching this and it kind of took the edge off this one. But don't let this review put you off getting it.

This film is a series of predictable scenes glued together with more cringeworthy moments and lines than I thought you could find in one film alone. Gangster films have the potential to contain full and interesting characters along with exciting twists and turns in the plot, this film has neither. The story is terribly mundane and the characters disappointingly vague. The music was nothing short of horrendous and cheesy. Sean Connery on the other hand was very good and brought a much appreciated silver lining to this very dark and dreary cloud. There are plenty of good gangster films available to watch; Scarface, Goodfellas, The Godfather. Please, for the sake of all things good, don’t watch this film!

what a fantastic film. my husband watched it years ago and i have been waiting a long time to see this film. it was definately worth the wait. robert de niro plays al capone brilliantly and kevin costner plays elliot ness. the film is about the prohibition in chicago, where drinking alcohol was made illegal. gangeters and bootlegging make a very good story to tell and in this film it was told brilliantly.

I may be being unfair, but I didn't think that this was a particularly great film.

I know it is 17 years old now (1987), but it seemed extremely dated compared to the slick gangster movies of the early 90's, 'Goodfellas' and 'Pulp Fiction'. It might be unreasonable to compare it to 2 of the greatest films of all time, but that is what people have done.

De Niro and Connery are both excellent, but I was not all convinced by Kostner.

A huge suspension of disbelief is required to accept the assembly of a particularly unlike crew of mob-hunters. Quite a bit of the action seemed hammed-up, as though it was almost being played for laughs.

I wouldn't rate this in even the top 20 all-time gangster movies.

Talk about tedious. I should have guessed when Kevin Costner and Sean Connery appear in the same film even Robert de Niro can't save it. If you can manage more than the 20 minutes I did, you must have already fallen asleep.