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Dick Tracy

Play trailer Poster for Dick Tracy PG 1990 1h 50m Crime Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Hard-boiled detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) is searching for evidence that proves Alphonse Big Boy Caprice is the city's most dangerous crime boss. He may have found the key to unraveling the crime lord's illegal empire in Breathless Mahoney (Madonna), an enigmatic barroom singer who has witnessed some of Caprice's crimes firsthand. However, she seems more set on stealing Dick away from his girlfriend, Tess (Glenne Headly), than helping him solve the case of his career.

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Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy

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Critics Consensus

Dick Tracy is stylish, unique, and an undeniable technical triumph, but it ultimately struggles to rise above its two-dimensional artificiality.

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Critics Reviews

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Lynden Barber Sydney Morning Herald 12/13/2024
Bright, imaginative, and thoroughly entertaining. Go to Full Review
Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune 06/23/2020
3/4
A visual delight and a dramatic letdown. Go to Full Review
Bob Thomas Associated Press 08/08/2019
Forget the plot. The essence of Dick Tracy lies in characters and style, and there it exceeds last summer's clunky, over-produced Batman. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 09/14/2024
2.5/4
Here’s the working definition of style over substance, as Dick Tracy’s flaccid script is completely overwhelmed by some of the most tremendous production values seen in many a moon. Go to Full Review
Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
2.5/4
There's something painful about a movie that fails on an artistic plane as high as the one touched by this film, but uncomplying characters do not a successful film make. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 11/17/2022
Dick Tracy is a cleverly planned, marvelously executed, and singularly unsatisfactory film. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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David S @David429 6d This is a really good movie. I enjoyed it a lot. The cast is awesome in this movie, and Warren Beatty, who stars as Dick Tracy and also directed the movie, did an amazing job of making the movie feel and look like a comic book movie. The production design is amazing and colorful; it looks like a comic book film, and you can totally believe that is where Dick Tracy is from, and the way they shoved all the villains they could in the movie did not hurt it at all. Richard Sylbert, the production designer, did an amazing job. I bought this movie because I'm a huge superhero/comic book movie fan, and I believe this is the first time I saw it, and I was not disappointed at all. I knew who Dick Tracy is but the film made me a fan. It is totally a 90's movie, oh how I mess that era. Anyways, the acting, production design, costumes, make-up, music, action, story, and directing are amazing in this movie. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Mar 1 Success in 1 hour and 50 minutes. 1991 winner of Academy Award for Best Original Song (Sooner or Later). See more thiago s @Thiagostone Jan 16 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Nathan T @FieryRavens Dec 8 Too much Madonna and the story was lacking, but the look and atmosphere of the film was great. Very strong performance by Pacino and Beatty was solid as the lead. See more Daniel S @RT37151421 Nov 25 This movie failed to earn lasting attention after the 1990 release, despite strong marketing and solid production values. Audience response dropped fast even though performance quality stayed above full failure status. Viewers receive a bold and flashy experience with clear strengths and visible weaknesses. The story follows Dick Tracy against a group of crime figures led by Big Boy Caprice, all aiming for control of the city and elimination of Tracy. Breathless Mahoney shows strong romantic focus on Tracy, while the character Blank displays shifting loyalty. The narrative stays simple and mirrors comic strip structure and pacing without added complexity. Visual design stands as the strongest element. Production design and set construction earned Academy Awards, including Best Art Direction and Best Song. Scenes present bright primary colors and panel style composition. Viewers focus on visual execution instead of narrative depth due to consistent style choices. Overcrowding of villains weakens pacing and reduces impact. Warren Beatty delivers a restrained performance that limits emotional engagement. Madonna contributes strong musical sequences, though acting range lacks consistency. Heavy prosthetic makeup restricts facial movement across supporting roles, which flattens delivery. Positive aspects remain clear. Danny Elfman provides a score that matches the exaggerated tone. Al Pacino embraces an extreme performance style as Big Boy Caprice, which adds energy and humor. Glenne Headly offers emotional grounding as Tess Trueheart, and original songs strengthen overall presentation. The adaptation tones down violence from source material, resulting in lighter action and minimal on screen blood. This choice targets broader age groups and increases accessibility for modern audiences seeking stylized retro cinema. This film deserves renewed viewing for design execution and distinct tone. Audiences interested in graphic comic inspired visuals and structured simplicity will find consistent value. See more Mitch B @RT97279008 Jul 1 Colorful and vibrant and fun. Warren Beatty and the rest of the cast shine in this stellar film. See more Read all reviews
Dick Tracy

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Movie Info

Synopsis Hard-boiled detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) is searching for evidence that proves Alphonse Big Boy Caprice is the city's most dangerous crime boss. He may have found the key to unraveling the crime lord's illegal empire in Breathless Mahoney (Madonna), an enigmatic barroom singer who has witnessed some of Caprice's crimes firsthand. However, she seems more set on stealing Dick away from his girlfriend, Tess (Glenne Headly), than helping him solve the case of his career.
Director
Warren Beatty
Producer
Warren Beatty
Screenwriter
Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr.
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 15, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$103.7M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Surround
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