The Untouchables

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2:41

The Untouchables

R

Released Jun 3, 1987

1h 59m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

75 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

After building an empire with bootleg alcohol, legendary crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) rules Chicago with an iron fist. Though Prohibition agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) attempts to take Capone down, even his best efforts fail due to widespread corruption within the Windy City's police force. Recruiting an elite group of lawmen who won't be swayed by bribes or fear, including Irish-American cop Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery), Ness renews his determination to bring Capone to justice.

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Critics Consensus

Slick on the surface but loaded with artful touches, Brian DePalma's classical gangster thriller is a sharp look at period Chicago crime, featuring excellent performances from a top-notch cast.

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Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

“The Untouchables” is heavy on the fiction, but thanks in large part to those great Chicago locales, it feels palpable and real.

Jun 1, 2022

Full Review

George Morris

Chicago Reader

To paraphrase William Butler Yeats, the moral, psychological, and emotional center of The Untouchables, like that of all of De Palma’s movies and like that of Reagan’s administration, simply cannot hold.

Rated: 1/4

May 9, 2022

Full Review

Bob Thomas

Associated Press

The Untouchables is a terrific movie, full of the same brand of fierce vitality that made the 1930s gangster films so compelling.

Jul 17, 2019

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Brian De Palma and David Mamet's genre masterpiece is an opera of sentiment and sadism, the story of a good man who adopts the brutish tactics of his enemy but somehow remains untouched.

Rated: 5/5

Oct 16, 2023

Full Review

Christopher Connor

The Film Magazine

It is an impeccably acted film with some strong cinematography and a fine score from Ennio Morricone. It successfully updates its 50s source material and still feels timely over 30 years removed from its release

Aug 8, 2023

Full Review

Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

The Untouchables still holds up incredibly well after more than thirty years. Production-wise, not only do the sets and costumes seamlessly resemble the Prohibition Era, but Brian DePalma’s technically impressive blocking and framing are a joy to watch.

Rated: A-

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

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Wesley H.

Al Capone

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

Full Review

bob t

RIP Sean Connery, Legendary Actor

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

Full Review

Audience Member

100% Capone Canon. When it comes to iconic masculine role-models for Boomers, this film features three of the top contenders: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro. The film’s tone is inconsistent, alternating between corny dialogue about archaic morals to over-the-top action sequences, much like contemporary campy action films such as the Fast & Furious franchise. However, it also features Hitchcockian shots and a swinging soundtrack, evoking the style of classic cinema. It has its flaws and can drag at times, but it also contains extremely memorable scenes and ambitious shots that Brian De Palma is known for. Ultimately, the film’s peaks offset its valleys, making it a classic crime drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/03/25

Full Review

Gerard B

It just feels dated. The scores/music feels very out of place for a lot of the scenes, and I don’t really feel like rooting for a guy who is enforcing a stupid prohibition law. I really wanted to like this movie but it barely kept my interest.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/21/25

Full Review

Walter R

Uma obra prima que merece ser vista todos os anos. Atuações impecáveis!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/10/25

Full Review

Sebastian L

Just like a good lecturer a competent story can make you invested in almost anything. The Untouchables does exactly that. With incredibly well-written scenes and simple but sympathetic characters it keeps you intrigued. What keeps it from being a masterpiece is a much to tight cut that doesn't leave nearly enough space for the story to breathe, and the score - even though composed by maestro Morricone - feels out of place more often than not.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/11/25

Full Review

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Brian De Palma

Director

Kevin Costner

Eliot Ness

Sean Connery

Jim Malone

Robert De Niro

Al Capone

Andy Garcia

Agent George Stone

Charles Martin Smith

Agent Oscar Wallace

The Untouchables: Official Clip - Malone's Methods

2:12

The Untouchables: Official Clip - Nitti's Fall

1:29

The Untouchables: Official Clip - You Got Nothing!

1:19

The Untouchables: Official Clip - Batter Up

2:10

The Untouchables: Official Clip - Knife to a Gunfight

2:04

The Untouchables: Official Clip - The Chicago Way

1:33

The Untouchables: Official Clip - The Stairway Shootout

2:12

The Untouchables: Official Clip - I Want Him Dead

0:27

The Untouchables: Official Clip - Here Endeth the Lesson

2:13

The Untouchables: Official Clip - A Kind Word and a Gun

1:44

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The Untouchables: Trailer 1

2:41

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Synopsis

After building an empire with bootleg alcohol, legendary crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) rules Chicago with an iron fist. Though Prohibition agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) attempts to take Capone down, even his best efforts fail due to widespread corruption within the Windy City's police force. Recruiting an elite group of lawmen who won't be swayed by bribes or fear, including Irish-American cop Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery), Ness renews his determination to bring Capone to justice.

Director: Brian De Palma
Producer: Art Linson
Screenwriter: David Mamet
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 3, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $74.5M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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