The Untouchables (1987) Review

The Untouchables is so different from your traditional gangster film. It's not dark, there's no brutal violence, and it's doesn't have the great dialogue of the other gangster films. It feels like the PG version of one the godfather films, but with the cops telling the story. It's like the Captain America: The First Avenger of Marvel Cinematic universe. Old-fashioned and silly. But it worked for Marvel, so it worked greatly in the gangster genre as well. The Untouchables may not have great dialogue, but the characters are just as good as most gangster films. Elliot Ness, Malone, Stone, and Oscar Wallace made a great team. Gangster movies are usually drama-thrillers, but The Untouchables puts the action in gangster. Other movies may features a few shootouts, but the Untouchables tops them all, with perfect, intense, thrilling action sequences. It's not all action, though, it still has the sad drama a gangster film needs. The major deaths are sad and emotional for both the police and the audience. The ending is fairly good, and the only detail they could have done better is Capone. Don't get me wrong, Robert DeNiro is a very talented actor, but the PG style of the movie didn't pay off in this case. Capone comes off as an easy, non-violent, weak villain when he should have been portrayed as the guy you don't want to meet in an alley. When someone says the word gangster, The Untouchables wouldn't be the first pick that would come to your mind. But it would one of the best.
Movie Rating: B+