This came out with big fanfare in 1990---and disappeared without a trace. That's too bad...it's no masterpiece but it's not a disaster either.
The plot is simple--Dick Tracys' (Warren Beatty) vast array of enemies all gang up under Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) to kill Tracy and take over the city. Along for the ride is Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) who loves Tracy. And whose side is the mysterious Blank on?
The story is very simple (but then Tracy IS a comic strip) but that doesn't really matter. There are stunning sets and incredible art direction (an Academy Award winner). Everything looks like a comic book mixed with live action and filmed in blazing primary colors (red, blue, green, yellow). There's so much to look at you can forgive the simplistic plot.
Sadly there are other problems. Way too many villains--they try and fit in all of Tracys' villains from the comic strip. There are too many and it amounts to overkill. Beatty is pretty bad as Tracy--stonefaced and not projecting any emotion or feeling--not good. Madonna is--of course--terrible as Breathless (but she DOES look good in those dresses and really belts out the songs). There are many great actors buried under tons of grotesque makeup (another Academy Award winner) giving their worst performances. I don't blame them--who can act with tons of makeup on your face?
But there are still plenty of good things--a great, bombastic score by Danny Elfman perfectly fitting the settings; Glenne Headly gives a very good performance as Tess Trueheart; Al Pacino goes WAY over the top (and is hysterically funny) as Big Boy; there's the Academy Award winning Best Song (I Always Get My Man) and, again, the stunning settings.
This is not a faithful adaptation of the comic strip--the comic strip was very violent and occasionally banned because of it. This is a family friendly version of it. The shootings are all bloodless and quick.
It's hard to understand why this bombed and disappeared so quickly. Maybe it will be rediscovered someday.
No great shakes but worth seeing.
The plot is simple--Dick Tracys' (Warren Beatty) vast array of enemies all gang up under Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) to kill Tracy and take over the city. Along for the ride is Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) who loves Tracy. And whose side is the mysterious Blank on?
The story is very simple (but then Tracy IS a comic strip) but that doesn't really matter. There are stunning sets and incredible art direction (an Academy Award winner). Everything looks like a comic book mixed with live action and filmed in blazing primary colors (red, blue, green, yellow). There's so much to look at you can forgive the simplistic plot.
Sadly there are other problems. Way too many villains--they try and fit in all of Tracys' villains from the comic strip. There are too many and it amounts to overkill. Beatty is pretty bad as Tracy--stonefaced and not projecting any emotion or feeling--not good. Madonna is--of course--terrible as Breathless (but she DOES look good in those dresses and really belts out the songs). There are many great actors buried under tons of grotesque makeup (another Academy Award winner) giving their worst performances. I don't blame them--who can act with tons of makeup on your face?
But there are still plenty of good things--a great, bombastic score by Danny Elfman perfectly fitting the settings; Glenne Headly gives a very good performance as Tess Trueheart; Al Pacino goes WAY over the top (and is hysterically funny) as Big Boy; there's the Academy Award winning Best Song (I Always Get My Man) and, again, the stunning settings.
This is not a faithful adaptation of the comic strip--the comic strip was very violent and occasionally banned because of it. This is a family friendly version of it. The shootings are all bloodless and quick.
It's hard to understand why this bombed and disappeared so quickly. Maybe it will be rediscovered someday.
No great shakes but worth seeing.