Any shortcomings Dick Tracy (1990) might have in terms of story line are more than made up for with style. With it's use of bright primary colors, the film is, if nothing else, visually stunning and at some points, beautiful. Snagging an Oscar for the startling transformations brought about through the creative use of make-up, the film truly brings the original cartoon characters to life on the screen. The all-star cast helps as well (Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Mandy Patinkin, Paul Sorvino, Dick Van Dyke, Madonna...)
Dick Tracy is up to his usual routine. Battling bad guys and always perpetually hesitating on popping the question to Tess, he is in a constant dilemma.
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| Dick Tracy. 1990: Warren Beatty |
Faint glimpses of a normal life appear and seem plausible when he and Tess half-adopt a guttersnipe kid.
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| Dick Tracy. 1990: Warren Beatty |
Tess and the kid take a back seat however, when Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) eliminates his competition and decides to take the helm of organized crime in the City. Dick Tracy, the consummate Cop, needs to stop him.
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| Dick Tracy. 1990: Al Pacino and Madonna |
Tracy must not only take on Big Boy's henchmen...
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| Dick Tracy. 1990 |
But added tension comes from the advances of Breathless Mahoney (Madonna, in a surprisingly good performance)
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| Dick Tracy. 1990: Madonna |
She is night club performer who seems smitten with him, and has knowledge that Dick Tracy believes will put Big Boy behind bars...
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| Dick Tracy. 1990: Madonna |
The usual shoot-outs and frame-ups occur as Dick Tracy builds his case and does his damnedest to bring the bad guys down...
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| Dick Tracy. 1990: Madonna |
