|
Rating:  -
The Blu-ray release of this movie has been unavailable for a while, but it's being rereleased. It appears to be exactly the same product, with the same special features and specs as before. No HD sound is listed in the announced specs, but it wasn't in the specs announced for the first Blu-ray release either, and was there anyway.
The Untouchables is a pure Hollywood spin on the true-life "Untouchables" led by Eliot Ness against Al Capone in the 1930s. Unlike anything in the real events or the TV series, in the movie, we're invited to approve Ness's progression from straight arrow to lawbreaker and (legally speaking) murderer, all for a cause we're invited to see as ultimately pointless (Prohibition, which really was pointless in that it utterly failed, that much is true).
Despite that gloomy angle, and some other gloomy or even silly made-up points I won't mention to avoid spoilers, the movie works very well as a beautifully produced, intensely presented cops and robbers tale in which good more or less triumphs over evil. In a nutshell, Ness (Kevin Costner) is charged with shutting down the organized crime that has grown up in response to Prohibition in Chicago. The corruption he faces runs through all levels of City Hall and the police. Sean Connery is especially good as the veteran incorruptible if not rule-bound cop who becomes Ness's right-hand man and advisor. They put together a small team of trustworthy souls who risk all to defend the right. Chief nemesis Capone is played by a somewhat "hammy" Robert DeNiro, who put on weight for the role and used a fat suit. (For a handy summary of the differences between the real events and the film (if that matters to you), see the Wikipedia article on the movie.)
The special features, same as before, are:
-- "The Script, The Cast" featurette (18:31)
-- "Production Stories" featurette (17:18)
-- "Reinventing the Genre" featurette (14:23)
-- "The Classic" featurette (5:39)
-- "The Men" featurette (5:26)
-- theatrical trailer in hi-def
The special features include some interesting points, not great but worth watching for fans. Still no commentaries.
The announced specs: 2.35:1 widescreen transfer (1080p), Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, DTS-ES 6.1, subtitles in English, French and Spanish. Again, there is probably an HD sound option too, which in the previous release was English DTS-HD High Resolution 6.1 Matrixed Surround (1.5mpbs).
I haven't seen the Blu-ray version yet, but the image quality is widely reported to be very good, better than the standard DVD, with good detail and color, though some say there are artifacts visible from digital sharpening (and others deny it). The sound is also reportedly very good, clear, with the surround mix fairly good, given when the film was made (before the heyday of surround sound).
The rerelease was originally announced for May 20th, 2008, but appears to been postponed.
Rating: -
I bought this as part of a 2 for $27 HD-DVD package from Frys ("Mission Impossible"). Ironically both films are directed by Brian DePalma, but "The Untouchables" is the gem of the 2 thanks to great script by David Mamet and an excellent cast headlined by Sean Connery as Malone, Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness & Robert DeNiro in an deliciously over the top performance as Al Capone (He must have studied Steiger's performance too). Also Andy Garcia & Charles Martin Smith offer great support too. The church scene between Ness & Malone is one of the many acting highlights of this superb film and don't forget Capone's murderous talk on baseball is unforgettable too. By all means get this in HD before the supply runs out--this is an offer you can't refuse!!
Rating:  -
Wonderful period movie that sparkles on HD DVD. This one is demo material for what a catalog title can look like. I've seen the Blu-ray as well -- it is the same fantastic, brilliant, detailed transfer. Don't hesitate to pick this up in hi-def if you enjoyed this one before.
Rating: -
Well. we all know the film is a masterpeice.
But the question was, is the Blu-Ray a good quality enough?
I just received and saw the film and I am totally satisfied.
The sound and picture are almost like 2008 Blu-Ray.
The sound include 5.1 EX and DTS-ES which is way better than True HD sound or PCM uncompressed, in my opinion.
The picture is nearly perfect. Even the night scenes, there's almost no bleeding or spots.
Great Blu-ray disc.
Highly recommended.
Rating: -
Maybe no rivalry other than the Hatfield's and the McCoy's, is as well known as the rivalry Hollywood presents us in stories of Elliot Ness vs. Al Capone. This 1987 version of their story is very graphic in its portrayal of the dangerous struggle going on between the two men.
The story is very well known. In the years of Prohibition, Robert DeNiro stars as Al Capone, the leader of illegal alcohol distribution in Chicago. As Kevin Costner's Elliot Ness tries to take Capone down he tries to get the Chicago police force to crack down on alcohol and assembles a small group to work along side played by Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, and Charles Martin Smith. Throughout the story, the violence in this movie is much more graphic then other versions, but it added to the effect of the war between Capone, his employees, and the police who wanted to take him down.
Some of the things going on in this movie, I have to believe, were put in to make the movie exciting, though I don't mind that. A mix of biography and fiction can often intensify the level of excitement in movies. As Ness and his team got closer to taking Capone down, Capone was always there to try to scare them, or in some cases, kill them to stop their progress.
The cast was excellent. Kevin Costner played Ness as if he knew the man, though I suppose there was brash cockiness added to the story to make the character more interesting. Robert DeNiro as Al Capone was perfect. You knew it was an actor, and still, from our previous information, and the menacing performance of DeNiro, you knew this guy was not to be messed with. Sean Connery played Jim Malone, another somewhat overconfident character but a very likeable one, as well. Andy Garcia was kind of the tough guy of the police group, but he really didn't seem too macho which could have been an easy mistake. Charles Martin Smith, at first sight, does not seem like the man to play the role of an assistant to Elliot Ness, but the fact is, the character was sent by the FBI to investigate tax fraud not shoot guns and try to fight Capone, so it turned out to be a fantastic casting call. One more lesser known actor, Billy Drago as the character Nitti. Here was a performance who almost out did the acting job done by Robert DeNiro. Like Capone, you knew Nitti shouldn't be messed with.
Great performances and a very well done story proved to make this story very exciting, though not always believable.
Television Show
Collectibles
Movie Searches
|
|
|
Search for posters,
art prints, photos, collectables, merchandise, toys, t-shirts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join the Nielsen//NetRatings Research Panel and you could win a new car, a dream vacation, a dream home makeover or $50,000 Cash!
TV Guide
Program listings, celebrity profiles, industry
gossip, movie reviews, puzzle.
More
Entertainment
& TV Magazines
This site is
Hosted
by Bluehost
Read
my Bluehost Review
Original Superhero & other designs for t-shirts, bumper
stickers, prints, mugs, and other cool merchandise. |
|
