Review of Dick Tracy (1990) by Jordan R — 10 Aug 2008

As others have said, "Dick Tracy" is what happens if you take the inverse of "Sin City" - film noir as seen through the eyes of the Boy Scouts, where the hero is iron-jawed and incorruptible, and the baddies so vile that even their bodies warp to reflect the state of their hearts.

The art direction and design are the clear stars here, with prosthetics and comic-strip colors leading the charge. The film's technical limitations, though not insurmountable, make it seem now to be almost like a play with the biggest sets you've ever seen. Also, the film is a love letter to torch songs and other classic '20s-to-'40s music - the soundtrack is not only a character, but one that also shares top billing.

Decent laughs and action until the end of the third act, wherein a tommy gun-wielding Tracy and the City's coppers turn Caprice's mob into Swiss cheese with a torrential fusillade of lead (and leave an armada of shredded burning cars in their wake), and Al Pacino starts turning up the Laugh-O-Meter with an oddly sheepish Big Boy.

It's offbeat and weird, particularly for such a heavily promoted summer blockbuster. Performances are good all around, with Al Pacino's volcanic, scenery-chewing, scene-stealing Big Boy character as the breakout performance.

You'll either like it or you won't. If you can, you'll have fun.