An exciting and humorous adventure film that appears to be ripped straight out of comic book pages, Warren Beatty’s Dick Tracy is not only one of the most visually authentic adaptations of a comic, but also a solidly entertaining film. With candy colored costumes, highly appealing makeup effects and enough charm to warrant the family friendly PG rating, Dick Tracy is a thrill for fans of the famous detective and general audience members alike.

Detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) cleans up the vermin-ridden streets of his city as a Dirty Harry-styled cop who crosses a few boundaries when necessary to nab a crook. Plagued by Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) and his mob of hardened criminal gangsters, Tracy aims to put the notorious mastermind behind bars for his gambling rings, murders and kidnappings. After Caprice rubs out oyster-loving rival Lips Manlis and takes over his territory, Tracy must battle scheming baddies, crooked politicians, bribery, forgery, a frame-up, sultry seductress Breathless Mahoney (Madonna), his patient girlfriend Tess Trueheart (Glenne Headly) and a street-smart kid in order to keep things in line. All in a day’s work for the untouchable, unbeatable sleuthing cop.

The character designs are simply phenomenal, with many recognizable faces (and great gangster names) from the comics being brought to three dimensional life including Lips Manlis, Little Face, The Brow, Mumbles, Pruneface, Flattop, Influence and more, all gloriously done up in brightly colored suits and Academy Award winning makeup. Beneath the disguises are instantly recognizable actors including Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Sorvino and William Forsythe. To go with these colorful characters is art direction and set designs that are more vivid and surreal than those seen in Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City. It’s a color scheme that boasts originality and an amazingly unique composition. Faraway aerial shots feast on luscious silhouetted buildings and streets, illuminated with eerie glows and graphic novel outlines. The look of the film is what many would consider to be “Tim Burtonesque.”

Dick Tracy is Warren Beatty’s Batman, complete with montages of action and newspaper headlines overlayed with Steven Sondheim’s Oscar-winning songs and Danny Elfman’s catchy theme music. At one point Tracy even crashes through a glass sky roof almost identical to a stunt performed by Batman a year earlier. And Al Pacino’s role as Big Boy Caprice can easily be compared to Jack Nicholson’s outlandish performance as The Joker, both playing idiosyncratic psychos seeking citywide domination. Prince’s lingering soundtrack from Batman is replaced by Madonna’s seductive voice as she continually sings tunes either onstage at the nightclub or in an omniscient background as scenes overlap.

Produced and directed by Warren Beatty, Dick Tracy is a nostalgic and unforgettable detective murder mystery tale woven together with action, comedy and hilariously disfigured gangsters galore. With Tommy gun mayhem, a New Year’s Eve showdown, comically faithful names and makeup, catchy music and delightful acting, Dick Tracy is not only one of the best comic book adaptations for the big screen, it’s also thrilling, non-stop fun.

- Mike Massie

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