Well, time is passing quickly, and it is my goal to be to at least 1993 by the end of this week. Let's see if we can get there. 1987. For those who don't like the Godfather trilogy for its long length and lack of bloody gore maxed out, then The Untouchables is for you. Let's get to it.
We begin with Al Capone, excellently played by Robert De Nero, telling reporters he doesn't deal with violence because "It's not good business." But we then cut to a bar exploding with a little girl inside. We know of course that Capone has to be behind it, so we are introduced to Eliot Ness, a member of the Treasury Department, who is going to bring Capone down.
After an unsucessful liquor raid, he meets Jimmy Malone, played by Sean Connery, who won an Oscar for his performance, who tells him that to get Capone he must act like Capone and break a few laws. With the assistance of George Stone, a hot shot from the police academy, and Wallce, an accountant, they form a group called The Untouchables. After a few successful raids, they find out that Capone hasn't filed taxes in many years. Wallace informs Ness that he will go to jail if convicted of this.
Capone, meanwhile, finds out about The Untouchables and puts an assassin on the case to get them. When a captured bookkeeper is taken to the police office, the assassin, Nitti, kills both him and Wallace. Ness and Malone find the word "touchable" written in Wallace's blood on the wall of an elavator along with their bodies. This is followed by one of the most memorable scenes: Ness confronts Capone in person by going to his hotel and threatening him.
Malone soon finds out that a Capone accountant is leaving and could show them the records to Capone's taxes. However, before he can get Ness over, he is shot by Nitti. Malone, inches from death, gives Ness the paper, then dies. Ness and Stone go to the station, and after a thrilling shootout get the accountant before he can leave.
Capone is taken into court and it seems to be working. Then he sees Nitti holding a gun. He and a bailiff escort him out. Ness sees Malone's pocketbook in his pocket and sees that he is the assassin. Nitti shoots the bailiff and runs for the rooftop. After a brief confrontation, Nitti falls to his death after he insults Ness and the late Malone.
Stone shows Ness a paper that fell out of Nitti's pocket showing that Capone payed off the jury so that he will be freed of all convictions. The judge doesn't believe him when Ness tells him, but he bluffs that the judge's name is in as well, and if the public finds out Capone will be free. The judge has the jury switched, and his attorney freaks out and changes plea from not guilty to guilty. Capone goes to prison for 11 years.
Ness then leaves Chicago with business done, and with the end of prohibition coming and a reporter asks, "What are you going to do about this?", he replies, "I think I'll have a drink."
So now for the grading scale:
Acting: 10 out of 10. Powerful performances from De Nero, Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness, and of course Connery.
Entertainment: 9 out of 10. Some might not like the court scenes, but I'm ok with them.
Screenplay: 9 out of 10. Very well written.
Directing: 10 out of 10. Brian De Palma's work is a great one, that's for sure.
Technical Credits: 8 out of 10. Brilliant music, art direction and editing.
Genre Fit: 10 out of 10. Never crosses the action movie/gangster movie line, which is hard to do.
MPAA Rating: 9 out of 10. A few moments seem like a PG-13, but it deserves its R for violence.
Stupid Scenes: 10 out of 10. None.
Deeper Message: 5 out of 10. Kind of, with the whole taking down a force you don't think you can.
Beginning: 25 out of 30. Great start.
Middle: 23 out of 30. Middle's pretty good.
Ending: 27 out of 30. The best parts.
Final Rating: 155/180 or 86%. An A-, which means it's a great film.
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