Dick Tracy (1990)
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A determined detective faces off against a powerful crime boss in a visually stylized world inspired by 1930s comic strips.
The story
In 1938, a young street kid witnesses a mobster massacre and leaves a message for detective Dick Tracy. After rescuing the boy from a tramp, Tracy takes him in with the help of his girlfriend, Tess Trueheart. Meanwhile, the city's crime boss, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice, consolidates power by eliminating rivals and intimidating the local authorities. When a witness to a crime, Breathless Mahoney, refuses to cooperate, Tracy must navigate a dangerous underworld to bring the syndicate down. The film follows Tracy's investigation into Caprice's operations while he manages his complicated relationships and the protection of the young boy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1938, Dick Tracy finds a young street kid who witnessed a mob hit. Tracy takes the boy in, while the crime boss Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice consolidates power by killing rivals and intimidating the city. A witness, Breathless Mahoney, refuses to testify against Caprice. During a raid on Club Ritz, Tracy discovers a plot to unite the city's criminals. After several attempts to bribe or kill him, Tracy remains steadfast. A mysterious figure known as "The Blank" offers to eliminate Tracy for a cut of the profits. A complex web of alliances and betrayals ensues, involving a corrupt District Attorney and a secret listening device. Eventually, a final confrontation occurs at a drawbridge where the Blank is revealed to be the dying Breathless. Tracy defeats Caprice, and the truth about the various characters' motives is revealed in a final, stylized showdown.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Warren Beatty
- Writers
- Jim Cash · writer; Jack Epps Jr. · writer
- Cast and characters
- Warren Beatty · Dick Tracy; Al Pacino · Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice; Madonna · Breathless Mahoney; Glenne Headly · Tess Trueheart; Charlie Korsmo · The Kid; James Keane · Pat Patton; Seymour Cassel · Sam Catchem; Michael J. Pollard · Bug" Bailey
- Genres
- crime; action
- Themes
- justice; loyalty; corruption
- Tone and mood
- stylized; noir
- Premise and plot tags
- detective; crime; comic strip adaptation
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1930s comic strip created by Chester Gould
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive reviews, praised for its unique visual style and performances, but criticized for its screenplay.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 63% · scale: percentage · review count: 60; Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Production trivia
- The film used a palette of only seven colors.; It was one of the last major American studio blockbusters to have no computer-generated imagery.; It was the first film to use digital audio.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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