Review of Dick Tracy (1990) by Johnnie A — 10 May 2008

I'm super ashamed to say that I've only just watched this movie in its entirety for the first time. I dug the heck out of it.

The production design, make-up, music and use of only 7 colours in the entire movie makes you feel like you're watching something that has just sprung out of a comic book. While this isn't necessarily a feat in itself compared to the kind of stylistic achievements seen in films today ("Speed Racer" immediately springs to mind, if only because it was the catalyst for me to finally get off my ass and watch this thing) it's mindblowing to see that something this cutting edge was produced in 1990. I honestly think the only weak link in the entire film is Beatty himself, who plays the titular character a little too woodenly (yeah, even for a comic book character.) Other than that, this thing is fantastic.