45 lines
4.8 KiB
Plaintext
45 lines
4.8 KiB
Plaintext
the ultimate match up between good and evil , " the untouchables " is an excellent movie because it looks deeper into an already examined rivalry .
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based on the 1959 television show of the same title , " the untouchables " may be an exaggeration of the real life events that took place , but it fits together perfectly with some beautifully filmed action sequences , some excellent acting , a memorable score , and a clever script .
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the film takes place in chicago during the prohibition era where mobsters led by the ruthless al capone run an underground market of liquor to the demanding public .
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elliot ness and a small force of men known as the untouchables attempt the impossible by trying to stop capone and trying to maintain peace and order .
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however , as ness soon learns , in order to stabilize peace , you have to bend a few laws .
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the fact that capone is evil is very apparent from the first few scenes .
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the film begins with capone , played perfectly by deniro , declaring that he is not a violent man and he is a firm believer in following all laws .
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the film then quickly transfers to the next scene in which one of capone's men bombs a restaurant that contains many innocent people including a little girl .
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from this point we know capone is evil , not only because he kills without hesitation , but also because he is a lying bastard .
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right from the first five minutes of the film , de palma has created a hatred towards capone and he shows that this man must be brought down at all costs .
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this developed hatred is before the film's hero , ness , is even introduced .
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i found this approach to be very clever because in a small duration of time there is a great amount of admiration for ness and an equal amount of hatred for capone .
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the film only gets better from this point .
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with the formation of the untouchables , there is a group of men wearing long , dark overcoats and hats .
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they walk in unison and they only look forward .
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as they walk down the streets they are observed and feared by citizens .
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holding shot guns and pistols in their hands to stop criminals , this image of vigilantes must have influenced future films .
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one that comes to mind is " the matrix " when neo , morpheus , trinity , and the rest of the gang first come into the virtual world .
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wearing more futuristic outfits of the same 1930's style , the similarities between these two are countless .
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" the untouchables " has some of the hippest , bravest heroes in any action film .
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the four members were the only ones willing to go against capone's army .
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each member of this special group also had their own characteristics that separated them from others .
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elliot ness , played with perfect ingenuity by kevin costner , is a character that surely grows during the course of the film .
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he begins as a man who is determined to follow all laws no matter how unfair they may be .
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however , as the film develops so does ness .
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his beliefs involving the law are shattered when he realizes that those he trusted are actually members of the other side .
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he also begins to lose his stability when his adversaries begin to murder his friends .
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his anger becomes so thunderous that he can no longer hold it in .
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sean connery , who won an academy award for best supporting actor in his role , plays malone , an aging cop who decides to make one final run as a member of the untouchables .
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malone acts as a mentor to ness .
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he teaches him " the chicago way " to do things ; when they attack with a knife , you attack with a gun .
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connery plays his character with the exact amount of wit and experience needed .
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andy garcia does a wonderful job as george stone , a young man who is just becoming a police officer .
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as ness grows , he begins to teach stone some valuable lessons that malone once taught him .
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charles martin smith is also fantastic as the final member who attempts to use an income tax offense against capone .
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smith is perfect for his role as he adds some valuable comic relief to the film .
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the action scenes are also some of the most beautifully choreographed i have ever seen .
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also very similar to " the matrix , " they are exciting and intense .
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>from a western-like battle to the famous confrontation at the train station steps , the scenes are well thought out and well executed .
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the score during these scenes ingeniously adds to the excitement .
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its pounding drum beats act as a rhythm for the actors .
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the combination of image and music is very impressive and also very effective .
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although the real life untouchables may have been excessively glorified , this film is pure entertainment and contains a unique blend of great acting , great directing , and great action .
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some scenes ( capone and the baseball bat , the train station ) have stuck in my mind for years and seeing them again will only make them more vivid .
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