Dick Tracy

Movie #42

Date Released: 6.15.1990

Date Watched: 7.17.2020

Reaction:

Did you know that Dustin Hoffman only appeared in four major motion pictures in the 1980’s (Tootsie, Ishtar, Rain Man, and Family Business?) Well he ambles into the 1990’s with a role in this awkward and star studded movie. Or should I say he ‘mumbles’ in? I assume we have Tim Burton’s Batman to thank for this comic adaptation, which is not a great movie but not a horrible movie either. In fact, I find it as about alluring as the Dick Tracy comic strip itself, so maybe it did the job right. But this movie also illustrates how good a job Burton did bringing Batman to a new generation while maintaining the kitsch and weirdness and darkness that Batman had accumulated over the years.

Anyway, Dick Tracy, as a character,  has a lot less depth as a character to work with, so they lined the movies with stars instead. Madonna, Warren Beatty, James Caan, Al Pacino, Dick Van Dyke, Dustin Hoffman, and more. There was a lot to work with here and I’m assuming that people took these roles either because they were close with Beatty or thought they could cash in on the comic book/strip to movie game. I have no idea how the movie fared, but it was exactly as I remembered it. Ok.

Publishing Notes: