Parents' Guide to

The Untouchables

By Charles Cassady Jr., Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Cops vs. the mob in bloody Prohibition-era drama.

Movie R 1987 119 minutes
The Untouchables Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

JackBauer
JackBauer Adult
April 11, 2021
age 16+

Great movie, must watch!

violence 5/5 lots of violent scenes with one particularly disturbing baseball bat scene. sex 0/5 no sex. language 3/5 some language. drinking 2/5 whole movie based around the prohibition.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
TheoDoyp
TheoDoyp Adult
January 20, 2016
age 15+

Great Gangster Film Adapted From What Really Happened

This is a very well made gangster film telling the true story of a group of men trying to get the gang lord Al Capone behind bars. This has some great performances and is just an all around fell good film. I do note that it contains many violent shootouts and other bloody acts of violence with blood most of the time (head shots too) and some moderate swearing that makers this film appropriate for teens only, maybe not (depending on what they can handle) But overall a ripper film with content appropriate for most 15 year olds.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In Prohibition-era Chicago, organized crime prospers under arch-gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro), who earns millions selling bootleg liquor, extortion and other vices through various lieutenants and underbosses. Proud US Treasury Agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) is appointed to specifically tear down the criminal empire, but learns the hard way that Capone has well-paid agents, spies, and informants even in the police. Fortunately Ness befriends Malone (Sean Connery), a streetwise Irish-American officer who mentors the young lawman in street tactics, including putting together a core team of "untouchable," bribe-proof deputies. Cleverly determining that ordinary tax law can lock away Capone -- he's hasn't filed a tax statement, naturally, for his illegal millions -- Ness and the Untouchables clash with the crime lord's deadliest gunmen in the prelude to Capone's trial.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (25):

THE UNTOUCHABLES is a lot fun despite the corniness and simplifications. It's often said real-life lawman and city safety director Eliot Ness, when he died virtually forgotten in 1957, had no clue his name would be famous as a pop-culture crimefighter. It was the inaccurate "nonfiction" bestselling book The Untouchables and a network TV-series adaptation (1959-1963) that inspired this entertaining, super-deluxe, big-scale feature film, which, despite frequent swearing and bloodletting, is very old-school Hollywood in its flavor and morality (and failure to get the facts straight). The good guys are really good, the bad guys are hissably evil -- none of that trendy romanticizing the mob or pretending criminals are cool rebels. With bigger-than-life actors, direction, and snappy dialogue (by playwright David Mamet), this film comes on like, well, gangbusters.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in this movie. How realistic is it? How does it affect you after watching it? Does who is committing the violence make a difference?

  • The newspapers in the film seem to be friendlier with Al Capone than with Eliot Ness. Are there criminals today who have the media spotlight? What is so appealing about colorful criminal characters, if anything?

  • Elliot Ness ends up breaking the law himself. Do the means justify the end?

  • This movie is based on real lives and real events. How have they been changed or dramatized? How can you find out the real story?

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