There have been many outstanding gangster movies, but Brian De Palma’s 1987 classic The Untouchables stands head and shoulders above a lot, and the A-list-filled flick is now shooting its way towards the top of the Tubi streaming chart. While many of the charts are currently filling up with festive classics, viewers are getting in the festive spirit by watching the violent Oscar-winning movie and sending it to number two in the streamer’s chart.
The Untouchables is one of Hollywood’s many takes on Al Capone, with Robert De Niro expertly stepping into the role with his usual powerhouse performance. However, the movie is far from a one-man show. Sean Connery’s veteran cop Jim Malone – his only Oscar-winning role – Andy García’s George Stone, and Charles Martin Smith’s accountant Oscar Wallace form the incorruptible squad led by Kevin Costner’s Eliot Ness attempting to bring down De Niro’s crime boss. The full synopsis of the film reads:
“After building an empire with bootleg alcohol, legendary crime boss Al Capone rules Chicago with an iron fist. Though Prohibition agent Eliot Ness 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, Ness renews his determination to bring Capone to justice.”
Released in June 1987, The Untouchables became a strong summer performer for Paramount Pictures, turning its $25 million budget into a $100 million box office. De Palma’s classical, stylish approach received plenty of critical praise, as did the performances of the entire cast. The film holds an 83% Tomatometer score, and an even better 89% rating from audiences.
‘The Untouchables’ Remains a Great Gangster Movie
Many of the positive critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes firmly score The Untouchables a 5/5 without hesitation. Gangster movies have always been crowd-pleasers, and when they come with De Palma’s style, and an outstanding cast of actors at the peak of their game like The Untouchables, streaming has made sure that it is never too far away from a new audience.
While De Niro and Costner have seen some of their newer releases failing to generate the excitement and box office success of the past, even after 38 years, The Untouchables continues to live up to its name. Perhaps it is a sign that actors really just need to know when to quit and rest on the glory of their past endeavors, especially in the case of Costner, who is still in limbo with his Horizon films and has still to prove to the world that dropping out of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone franchise to follow his costly passion project was the right decision. With many fans seemingly more interested in watching Costner’s old gangster movie than his new Western ones, maybe the proof is right there already – just not in Costner’s favor.
- Release Date
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June 3, 1987
- Runtime
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119 minutes
- Director
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Brian De Palma
