at ht aking ly ▁beautiful ". ▁Con vers ely , ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁pra ised ▁the ▁film ▁for ▁its ▁action ▁sequences ▁and ▁locations ▁but ▁disapp ro ved ▁of ▁David ▁Mam et ' s ▁script ▁and ▁Brian ▁De ▁Pal ma ' s ▁direction . ▁Hal ▁Hin son , ▁in ▁his ▁review ▁for ▁the ▁Washington ▁Post , ▁also ▁critic ized ▁De ▁Pal ma ' s ▁direction : ▁" And ▁somehow ▁we ' re ▁put ▁off ▁here ▁by ▁the ▁spect ac ular ▁stuff ▁he ▁throws ▁up ▁onto ▁the ▁screen . ▁De ▁Pal ma ' s ▁story t elling ▁instinct s ▁have ▁given ▁way ▁completely ▁to ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁film ▁as ▁a ▁visual ▁medium . ▁His ▁only ▁real ▁concern ▁is ▁his ▁own ▁style ". ▁ ▁Richard ▁Sch ick el ▁of ▁Time ▁wrote , ▁" M am et ' s ▁eleg antly ▁efficient ▁script ▁does ▁not ▁waste ▁a ▁word , ▁and ▁De ▁Pal ma ▁does ▁not ▁waste ▁a ▁shot . ▁The ▁result ▁is ▁a ▁dens ely ▁layer ed ▁work ▁moving ▁with ▁confident , ▁comp uls ive ▁energy ". ▁ ▁E bert ▁sing led ▁out ▁the ▁film ' s ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Al ▁Cap one , ▁who ▁is ▁dep icted ▁as ▁ar rog ant ▁and ▁child ish ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁mis be h aving ▁in ▁public ▁and ▁in ▁court , ▁as ▁the ▁biggest ▁disappoint ment ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁while ▁giving ▁pra ise ▁to ▁Se an ▁Con n ery ' s ▁work . ▁While ▁he ▁was ▁voted ▁first ▁place ▁in ▁an