Tony Montana

Overview

Tony Montana is the protagonist of the 1983 film Scarface. The film depicts Montana's rise and fall in the Miami underworld, from his humble beginnings as an ambitious Cuban refugee to his violent death, killed in a shootout as the drug empire he built crumbles around him. The character of Tony Montana has since developed into a pop culture icon and the film itself has come to be regarded as a classic despite initial poor reviews from critics at the time of its release.

Scarface: The World is Yours

In 2006, the game Scarface: The World is Yours was released, with Tony Montana as its protagonist. Set after the events of the film, the game retcons Tony's death by depicting his surviving the shootout at the film's climax. Though he escapes, he's left with nothing to his name, as the money and power he had attained are all taken away from him.

In the game, the player, as Tony, must once again claw their way back to the top of the Miami drug trade through an open world crime game structure reminiscent of the Grand Theft Auto series. The character, played by Al Pacino in the film, was voiced by a sound-alike for the game. Pacino has stated that he turned down the opportunity to voice Montana himself due to the fact that years of smoking had altered his voice.

Impact on Pop Culture

Tony Montana and the Scarface film have inspired filmmakers, rappers, and even videogame designers. In 2002's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the game's main character, Tommy Vercetti is ripped off in a drug deal gone wrong just as Tony was double-crossed in Scarface. Other parallels to the film include the ability to use a chainsaw as a weapon, and the mission involving the empty apartment building and the bloody bathroom. Perhaps the game's biggest salute to the film is its final mission, in which Tommy's partner, Lance Vance, double crosses him and Tommy must fight against a slew of rival gangsters at his mansion with a limited amount of weapons. Tommy survives the attack and ends up killing Lance, just as Tony killed his partner in the film before meeting his end.

A sequel to the 1983 film was planned in 2001 where hip hop artist Cuban Link would play Tony Montana's son. The film was going to be titled Son of Tony, but due to harsh criticism from fans and critics alike, as well as a legal battle for the right to use the characters, Cuban Link opted out of the project. After plans for the sequel were abandoned, a mini-series about the film to be produced by the USA network was planned in 2003, but it too was cancelled.