Review of Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy is one of my favorite comic book films and the reason it still holds up today is because a true love for the original material and medium shines through at every turn. With Dick Tracy it truly feels that the comic strip was lifted directly from the page and given life by the camera and actors. The vivid colors are faithfully, almost exclusively, of the Crayola 6 pack variety, which is far from a criticism here. The ensamble of thugs and no-gooders is rooted in charicature and child-like simplicity, but granted just the right amount of fierce eccentricity and personal touches to make them really come alive. Add to all this a suprisingly genuine touch of heart and we have a comic book film that is not just servicible, but good. Loads of top-tier talent showed up for this one, decked out in brightly colored three-piece suits and fedoras, and, as is the case for most films of the genre, the villian steals the show. Pacino is truly a spectacle to behold. While Warren Beatty deftly delivers upon everything asked of him, Pacinos Big Boy Caprice is the motor that truly makes this model-T run. A refreshingly exhuberant, yet mature performance from the Kid helps a great deal too. And while Im no Madonna lover, shes mostly acceptable, at times even strong here. I hate to say it, but Pfeiffers Selena Kyle may owe more than I care to admit to her performance. One too many musical interlude/lazy move-the-plot-forward sequences are high on the list of a few problems with this one, but all in all a very fun film that holds up beautifully with time.