‘The Untouchables’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Brian DePalma’s Crime Classic Is Given New Life

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.

For thoughts on The Untouchables, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/_kS59oZ32jE?t=45]

Video Quality

The Untouchables debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a tremendous 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that honors the original source while giving it the fresh new life it has been needing for the longest time. This release only comes with a 4K disc, so direct comparisons to any other source are limited, but by all accounts this trounces over the ancient Blu-Ray release that was one of the poorest on the market. While the old release was plagued with an artificial, smoothed-over image that robbed the picture of its authenticity, this new 4K presentation retains the lovely natural film grain that gives a lot of nuanced texture and detail to the transfer. The lack of artificial management alone is enough of a reason to upgrade. 

Skin tones seem to shift the slightest bit pale, but the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including beads of perspiration. The command over contrast and overall clarity is readily apparent, especially in distinct details within the production design and costumes. The transfer remains very crisp throughout with next to nothing in the way of softness or fluctuation. The Dolby Vision provides very natural, deep colors that are not going to pop off the screen, but feel accurate to the world compared to the garish colors on the old release. Some may complain that this transfer is “too dark,” but that is simply not the case as it captures what DePalma and DP Stephen H. Burum were intending. White levels are brighter and more stable without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain a tremendous amount of depth and detail in darker environments. This is a knockout release for a classic that desperately needed such treatment. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with a commanding new Dolby Atmos track that brings as much life to the experience as the video does. From the opening moments of the stirring Ennio Morricone score, you feel as if you are in the middle of a live orchestra that sweeps you away into this narrative. The directionality of the sound is precise throughout with no confusion in the placement. The height channels are not used to carry the load of any moment, but they provide some additional texture to various moments. 

There are bursts of violence and other activity in the low end which makes your subwoofer prove its worth including shootouts and explosions. As noted, the music remains an essential part of this experience, and there is no hint of damage as it maintains a pleasing fidelity throughout. Dialogue comes through crisp and clean without ever being stepped on by competing sounds. The surround channels provide texture to the world with distinct sounds such as the murmurs of crowds and car engines that engage all around. This track lives up to the dominance of the video portion of the disc. 

Special Features

• The Script, The Cast: A nearly 19-minute piece in which Director Brian DePalma and Producer Art Linson discuss the origins of the project, the development of the film, how it compares to the original television series, finding the right performers to cast in the picture and more. The actors get to weigh in on their experiences coming to the project through archival on-set footage. There are some interesting insights into what may have been if some of the alternative casting choices had come to fruition. 

• Production Stories: A 17-minute featurette consisting mostly of conversations with DePalma and Director of Photography Stephen H. Burum in which the actual shooting of the film is discussed from the aesthetic ethos of the film, the use of negative space, the location shooting, the costumes of the characters and more. 

• Re-Inventing The Genre: A nearly 15-minute look at how the creative team approached this genre in a fresh and exciting way, the inspiration taken from John Ford, how scenes evolved once they were on location, adapting grand ideas to meet their budget and more. 

• The Classic: A nearly six-minute look at the film’s success and legacy, the soundtrack, and more. 

• Original Featurette – “The Men”: A nearly six-minute vintage promo in which the cast discuss the film. 

• Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

The Untouchables is one of the strongest crime films of the 1980s, owed in no small part to the expert filmmaking on display from Brian DePalma. His artfulness combined with the accessible-yet-clever David Mamet screenplay allows for a world of distinct figures that make an impression even if historical accuracy is not in the cards. More than anything, though, the excellent performances solidify this film’s legacy as something truly great. Paramount Home Entertainment has given this one a tremendous 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade with an A/V presentation that completely demolishes the old Blu-Ray disc. The disc also carries over all of the legacy features, along with a digital copy of the film. If you are a fan of this film, you owe it to yourself to not suffer with the old Blu-Ray any longer and pick this new one up. Highly Recommended 

The Untouchables is currently available to purchase on Standard or SteelBook 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.