Review of Dick Tracy

Calling Dick Tracy, a bad movie is an overstatement. As a kid of the 1990s, it was alright for the most part as a comic book film noir movie. Directed by Warren Beatty, and produced by Disney under their Touchstone Pictures banner, the movie, adapted the Chester Gould's relatively simple crime-drama comic strip and reimagined it as a complex big-budget extravaganza with big-name actors, colorful costumes, special effects and plenty of music. The movie tells the story of Detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) who must save his beloved city, from up-and-coming gang boss in Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) who unites all Dick Tracy's rivals into a citywide gangland coalition. Now Tracy's only hope in foiling Big Boy's schemes lies with nightclub singer Breathless Mahoney (Madonna), who is prepared to help the detective for a price that Tracy cannot delivered. Can Dick Tracy take down Big Boy Caprice's united mob or will Dick Tracy, be swimming with the fishes, by the end? Watch it to find out. Without spoiling too much of the film. The film feels like a rip-off of 1989's Batman in its look, music, and plot. If that wasn't all, the movie story is not the greatest. It felt like a series of comic strips, put into one. It often felt very disjointed and things move in a nearly out of place motion. It gets ready confusing. A lot of things don't make sense like the twist toward the end. The story is often riddled with huge plot-holes as if shot with a tommy gun. The movie pacing move as fast as paint dries with music acts, action and exposition scenes that wasn't really needed. It's snail pace. Most of the main performances seem dull and phoned in. Supporting actors like Dustin Hoffman as Mumbles, and Dick Van Dyle as the D.A get way under-looked. It was just a huge mess. Warren Beatty as Dick Tracy is mediocre. One of the biggest problems is that Dick Tracy just isn't an interesting character. Warren Beatty certainly doesn't put much effort into making him a compelling character. It was one of his last big main roles before retired in the early 2000s. Glenne Headley as his girlfriend, Tess Trueheart is forgettable. Sean Young claims she was forced out of the role of Tess Truehart after rebuffing sexual advances from Beatty. I think Sean Young would had made the movie, ever worse. She's not a favor of mine. Charlie Korsmo as the nameless "Kid" that Dick Tracy adopt was too annoying to care about. Al Pacino might be a little over the top silly, to be taken seriously as a threat. He never once, seem menacing. I was deeply surprised he was nominated for an Academy Award for this role that year. I thought, it was one of his worst performance, ever. Madonna, who was then in a relationship with Beatty, pursued the part of Breathless Mahoney, but offered to work for scale to avoid any appearance of nepotism, because they were in a relationship at the time. I guess Madonna really wanted Beatty's dick. Surprising Madonna's acting is probably the best of all. Still, her acting wasn't much of a stretch. She was indeed sexy as the femme fatale lounge singer. Most of the music, she does in the film, works. The song, 'Sooner or Later' by Stephen Sondheim and sung by Madonna is great sexy lounge music. Glad, it won Best Original Song at the Oscars that year. The song "more' doesn't deserve any awards. It sounds like a Marilyn Monroe 'Diamond are a girl's best friend' rip off song. It's cut to pieces anyways with the horrible editing. It's annoying smug. While, Madonna didn't do these songs, 'Back in Business' & "Live alone and like it' were pretty catchy. Still, I don't know why 'Live alone and like it' was put in a montage of Dick Tracy's doing family things. That was a bit weird. Once again, bad editing ruin that song, as well. While, not feature in the film, 'Vogue' was indeed part of the Dick Tracy soundtrack. Vogue would become one of Madonna's greatest hits of all time. Danny Elfman theme song was disappointing. I really wanted more for him. One of the striking features of the film was its attempt to replicate, in live action, the flat colors and limited palette of the pulp magazine atmosphere. It did delivered great in the old school effects. The Matte painting was visually beautiful. One drawback to that, you can't move the camera. I guess the static camera is obviously a tribute to the panels of a comic book, but it kinda looks lazy. The makeup is pretty cool. I love seeing the many distort faces of the criminals. Still, some of them, look a bit too fake looking. Holy crap, for a PG film, you have a lot of sexual innuendos. Breathless in a sheer nightdress, wearing barely anything at all is very scandalous. Lots of see-through nipples. Not only the sex, but the violence. It's somewhat very graphic for a kid's movie. Lots of people getting mow down by Tommy Guns. While, the film was a hit. However, a combination of underperforming and the overtone cost, cause a sequel to never be made. Disney had hoped Dick Tracy would launch a successful franchise, like the Indiana Jones series, but sadly decades-long battle over the rights between Beatty and the Tribune Co. put any immediate follow-ups to the long run. So Dick Tracy 2 is not on his way, anytime soon. Overall: This movie isn't perfect, but it's not the worst. This surrealistic comic book need a comeback, and I hope it does. It does need it.