On its own merits (minus the impressive promotional smokescreen) the latest appearance of Chester Gould's fabled gumshoe is an empty but otherwise innocent comic strip adventure. The film is difficult to dislike, but it's even more difficult to overlook the gaping hole where its title character should be. After making every villain a lively cartoon caricature, director/star Warren Beatty either forgot or (out of vanity?) declined to provide himself with comparable make-up to match his character's familiar, square-jawed profile. The comic book design is certainly dazzling, with its artificial sets and primary colors (all "eight" of them, according to Beatty), but without a story to hold it all together the novelty wears thin quickly. A successful film needs more than just clever make-up and production design, but Dick Tracy offers nothing else of interest; the monotonous, jury-rigged plot moves back and forth without progressing anywhere, and the presence of Madonna is an instant liability. Needless to say, it's a far cry from 'Bonnie and Clyde'.
Review of Dick Tracy
