Review of Dick Tracy (1990) by Issac L — 13 Dec 2011

Dick Tracy, is a territory I'm unfamiliar with (never heard of the comic strip before), Warren Beatty, is a mysterious Hollywood honcho whom I reckon to be a legend whose fame is unceasing even though his last work TOWN & COUNTRY (2001) is a notorious catastrophe which is a perfect paradigm of failure in Hollywood film history and had prompted his retirement until now, rumor says a new film project is in development right now and aiming for a 2013 release, finger crossed!

This profusely comic-influenced film is a hybrid of stylistic settings and costumes and stylized performances, dangling with a feeble script. Woefully Beatty, Pacino and Hoffman, 3 bigwigs emerging in a single film and the spark is scarce, Madonna conspicuously proves that acting is not her strong suit, while the music in it is marvelously diverting and intriguing. Then comes the Oscar winning and nominations, 3 won for Art Direction, Make-up and Original song, all are meriting, another 4 nominations, Cinematography, Costume Design, Sound and Pacino's Supporting actor, I can merely understand the first three (not a technical connoisseur myself), for me the last one just manifests at that time the Academy did whatever they could to compensate Pacino's Oscar-less status then (thanks to the belated SCENT OF A WOMAN in 1992, otherwise, maybe he would get a nomination even for Gigli in 2003). It could be a breakthrough for Pacino to star as the villain in a farce feature, but that is all, it's impossible to bare the label of "best of the year".

With all due respect to all the devotees, but a cartoon-prone tune within the vintage 1930s could not help to establish this film a rightful public praise (although it is a box office victor). Nonetheless the film is not less than entertaining, but among Beatty's admirable filmography, DICK TRACY's right position is a respectful trifle (maybe better than TOWN & COUNTRY, LOVE AFFAIR 1994 and Ishtar 1987).