In the way of flaws, it almost lives up to its title.

THE FILM

Loosely based on the old 60's TV show (which was loosely based on the book by Eliot Ness, which was, in turn, a true story), the film places Kevin Costner in his best performance as federal agent Eliot Ness. In 1930s Chicago, during the Prohibition era, crime and corruption are at an all-time high. The mob underworld is ruled by seemingly unstoppable gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro). So how do you stop the crime? You take out the Big Man - and the big man just happens to be Capone.

So Eliot Ness handpicks a group of dedicated men (Charles Martin Smith, Andy Garcia, and a great performance by Sean Connery) and then sets out to take Capone down.

As mentioned before, Costner and Connery are great, and the rest of the cast is really good as well. Brian De Palma's direction is perfect, and this is very likely his best film. There is another masterpiece score from Ennio Morricone. So what could be wrong?

For the first time ever, De Niro is the film's let-down. De Niro as Al Capone is a great opportunity to let his talent shine - but it doesn't. And it's not completely De Niro's fault; the script's use of Capone is minimal and uninteresting. [9/10]

THE VIDEO

The DVD's picture quality is great! At times, the picture is a little light, and if you squint really really hard, you may be able to pick up some grain. But all in all, the picture quality is very satisfying. [9/10]

THE AUDIO

Other than the film itself, the DVD's true highlight is its sound. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix not only heightens the films impact, but it truly brings out the brilliance in Ennio Morricone's score. [10/10]

THE EXTRAS

Oh, boy. This is where the DVD's grade goes down. Let's see what we have for extras:
- Theatrical Trailer
Uh-oh. They could have done a lot better with the extras than that. With the film's popularity and all, I think I see a big Special Edition on the way in the near future. [1/10]

All in all, the presentation of the film is great, but as far as the extras go, this DVD sucks.

OVERALL SCORE: [7/10]

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THE FILM: [9/10] Excellent movie.
THE VIDEO: [9/10] Great job.
THE AUDIO: [10/10] Ennio Morricone has never sounded so great.
THE EXTRAS: [1/10] A trailer. Woo-hoo, that'll last us thirty seconds.
OVERALL SCORE: [7/10] Worth buying for fans of the film or DVD collectors, but otherwise, it's probably best to just wait for a Special Edition.

- Thomas Benton