Dick Tracy is hardly a perfect movie but star/director Warren Beatty does a tremendous job translating the source material into the feature film format. Between the art direction, production and costume designs, the visuals on the movie are fantastic and Beatty as Tracy was perfect.
Dick Tracy (1990)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Crime, Comedy
Buena Vista | PG – 106 min. – $26.50 | December 11, 2012
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Warren Beatty
Writer(s): Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr.
Cast: Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenne Headly, Charlie Korsmo, Mandy Patinkin, Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, Seymour Cassel, William Forsythe, Dick Van Dyke, Kathy Bates
Theatrical Release Date: June 15, 1990
DISC INFO:
Features: Digital Copy
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.85
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 29.5 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C
THE MOVIE – 4.0/5
Plot Outline: When gang lord Big Boy Caprice (AL PACINO) unites the town’s racketeers and gangsters, police detective Dick Tracy (WARREN BEATTY) devotes his career to foiling the entire bung of bad guys.
Quick Hit Review: The last time I saw Dick Tracy was probably in the mid-90s on VHS and perhaps before that when it was in theaters back in 1990. Revisiting the film which has become somewhat of a classic in its own right, I was surprised at how well it has held up and the great job Warren Beatty did both as star and director. Beatty stupendously captures the era yet still manages to tell a compelling and fun story in the process (something The Shadow attempted but, for the most part, failed).
To go along with the direction, the costume design is some of the best being nominated for an Academy Award, the art direction is fantastic (winner of an Oscar) and the make-up was amazing (another Oscar). If there was one failing the movie had it was probably with Danny Elfman’s score. Yes, I realize that Elfman mostly recycles material but the score in Dick Tracy sounded like scrap leftovers from Burton’s Batman which was released the year before. It’s not a bad score per se but overpowering and just sounded too similar.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 0/5
Unfortunately despite the cult status this movie has garnered, Buena Vista didn’t bother giving any features. The only thing inside is a Digital Copy disc and code.
VIDEO – 4.0/5
Buena Vista releases Dick Tracy on Blu-ray for the first time presented in its original 1.85 aspect ratio and a new 1080p high-definition transfer. As anyone who has seen this movie can attest, it’s to say the least colorful and truly shows it here where the colors, especially Dick Tracy’s trademark yellow coat and hat, pops off the screen. For the most part this is a clean transfer though I did notice on occasion some artifacts but its minimal and other elements, such as details and black levels, all looks good.
AUDIO – 4.5/5
The lossless audio upgrade benefits the most of this release. The disc comes with a resounding 5.1 DTS-HD MA track which shows off Danny Elfman’s bombastic score along with crisp and clear effects during the action sequences and, on the lower levels, quieter dialogue moments.
OVERALL – 3.0/5
Overall, Dick Tracy is hardly a perfect movie but star/director Warren Beatty does a tremendous job translating the source material into the feature film format. Between the art direction, production and costume designs, the visuals on the movie are fantastic and Beatty as Tracy was perfect. The Blu-ray unfortunately doesn’t have any features but the audio/video transfers make this a good purchase… at the right price (<$10).
Published: 12/14/2012
Great caps! Is it possible to add some more, maybe of Lips Manlis and the cement scene?