Dick Tracy

Legendary police detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) is the only man tough enough to take on gangster boss Big Boy Caprice and his band of menacing mobsters. Dedicated to his work but also devoted to his loyal girlfriend, Tess, Tracy's torn between love and duty. Things get even stickier when Tracy's saddled with an engaging orphan and meets seductive and sultry torch singer Breathless Mahoney (Madonna).

Matt
Rating: 8 out of 10

When people talk about great comic book movies, Dick Tracy is never in the conversation. But it should be.

I plucked this from the deep library on Netflix, and I'm glad I did. I really liked this movie as a kid but, as an adult, I like it even more. Beatty directed this visually intriguing film. It's a noir world full of pastel colors. It is a dark place, full of criminals that are disfigured and warped. Tracy is ice-cold, not unlike Batman. This film has a similar feel to the world of Batman with the art deco buildings, neon lights and a camera watching from the shadows.

This comic book film is lighter in feel than most, however dark the characters are. Al Pacino is Big Boy Caprice, and he plays him to monstrous levels only he's capable of. The film has a ridiculous cast, too. I'd argue the best of any comic book movie. Aside from Pacino and Beatty, the cast includes Dustin Hoffman, Dick Van Dyke, Paul Sorvino, Madonna, James Caan, Kathy Bates, Mandy Patinkin and Seymour Cassel.

This movie was made with a great deal of forethought and love for the source material. It's an original take with a visually stunning style, great performances, and a fun story. This is a film that should be in the conversation of great comic book movies.

Dick Tracy