I think Warren does a good job of portraying the iconic serial detective, and Charlie Korsmo is certainly endearing as "The Kid." It took me a little while (I embarrassingly admit) to realize the character of Big Boy Caprice was played by Mr. Pacino, and almost no time at all to realize that the "Mumbles" character was played by Mr. Hoffman.

I enjoyed all the bright colors and some oversized props (reminds me a little bit of the whole aesthetic of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit...") Decent enough, although Madonna's attempt at nightclub singing really got on my nerves throughout the film, but alas , this is where Warren went wrong.

Warren did ALMOST everything right, in the look, his performance, the casting, the visual over-the-top stylizing for the sake of iconography, and the square jawed 30's comic sensibility, and even sticking his Ishtar buddy Hoffman in for a bit part. But then he had to turn into Director Warren Beatty, who rarely creates an action sequence when an artistic musical montage would carry the scene along so much better...I remember we were all led in by comic-strip action scenes in the trailer, only to find out that those scenes would all be covered over by a slow Madonna torch song. To top it all off the film requires Madonna to ACT, not just throw out one liners like she did in "A League of Their Own".

I've been watching "Dick Tracy" for years, and as a result it's become a vital part of my life - it was with me throughout childhood and I used to see it quite often. Seeing it now, as an adult, it's still a very good movie - dark, satiric and incredibly misunderstood. About the only thing that can be said is the Oscar nomination Pacino received - other than that it is rarely discussed and didn't make much of a fuss when it came out.

Pacino is over-the-top but to good effect as he's clearly having loads of fun. Beatty is great as Dick Tracy and behind the camera manages to capture the atmosphere of a film noir comic book better than any other film, possibly, I have ever seen. Just taking a look at one scene from the film is breathtaking. The lighting, velvet overtones and smog/smoke combine to create a great effect.

There are some really funny cameos including one by Dustin Hoffman as "Mumbles," and I don't think there are any flaws at all in terms of acting - even the mandatory kid-character is far better than expected.

Overall, a really fine movie that has become misunderstood over the years since its release and is incredibly underrated with only 5.7/10 average on IMDb. The critics' reviews are very positive (check out RottenTomatoes.com) and after seeing the film once again it's not hard to see why - this is a perfect example of capturing the essence of a comic book, from style to eccentricity.

Highly recommended. 4.5/5 stars.

When "Dick Tracy" debuted, I remember two things. First, that DIsney spent a crapload of money producting 10001 different tie-in toys for kids based on the film. Second, most professional reviewers savaged the film...and yet it made money. Now, 30 years later, I'm rewatching the movie.

My first reaction when I began watching the film was that it was an incredibly adult movie...way too adult for the kids to whom it was marketed. Machine gun battles, folks being buried in cement and Madonna wearing practically nothing....all of which make this Disney film an absolute nightmare for decent parents. There is just no way I'd ever let a kid watch this movie....none.

If you look past all the violence and sex, what's left is an interesting film. The look of the movie is the best thing about it. It looks more like a comics page than any film I can recall....and I liked that. Most of the baddies were pretty cool to see and watch and the movie was rarely ever dull. But there still is one thing I didn't like about the movie...one thing that is really controversial. I think Al Pacino was terrible in the film! He was never subtle, always loud and brash and spent the entire film eating the scenery.

Overall, this is a very mixed bag...some good, some bad...and a movie I'd never show anyone under about age 10 or 12.