reviewed by Charity Bishop
     

One of the most unusual approaches to a comic book character can be found in this colorful film, which set a standard for imaginative filmmaking. Dick Tracy is either a movie you will love for its creativity or one you will find annoying because of it.

It's not a good time to be a mobster. Not with Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) roaming the streets. He has most of the crime organizations running scared -- all but Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino), who wants to give him an old-fashioned poke in the eye. He arranges for his biggest rival to take a walk off the peer in cement shoes and takes over his nightclub, acquiring his dame Breathless Mahoney (Madonna) along the way. Breathless has a bit of a thing for Dick -- and he has a bit of an interest in Breathless, in spite of being madly head over heels in love with a flower shop girl named Tess (Glenne Headly). That's about the time he meets a street-wise orphan known only as Kid (Charlie Korsmo). Caught picking pockets and winding up with a new suit of clothes and as much ice cream as he can eat, Kid figures he has caught a good deal and might just hang around for awhile.

But Big Boy wants Tracy dead or worse and has a gang of thugs willing to put their lives and reputations (... well, what remains of them) on the line to make it happen. Before long, it's a game of murder, blackmail, and kidnapping and it's up to Dick to save the day, save the girl, and figure out how to keep the kid out of the orphanage -- without soiling his fabulous yellow trench coat. Admittedly, this movie is not your average crime drama and takes some risks. Some people are not going to like it. The gaudiness of the bold colors is going to throw them off, as will the heavy make-up and prosthetics that most of the actors are wearing (Dustin Hoffman, Pacino, and Mandy Patinkin are almost unrecognizable). Even Madonna has had a little "tweaking" with eyebrows that never seem to end. But once you get over the shock, you come around to loving it -- or at least I did. Watching Kid emerge from a dressing room in a bright red suit with a clashing tie made me smile. Many films have followed in this formula since but this one really started it all and deserves credit for its cleverness. It has a terrific cast (Kathy Bates is even momentarily seen as a baffled secretary) and great moments of sweetness and sincerity in the midst of the absurd antics of the villains. It's just... well, it's fun.

Although the film does carry a PG rating most of the content is downplayed and not overly offensive. There are numerous classic shoot-outs between good guys and bad guys, with machine guns, explosions, car crashes, and people keeling over (all without blood, of course). Big Boy lightly slaps Breathless once or twice. Kid is smacked into a piece of furniture by an abusive punk who quite soon is given a real beating for it by Dick -- elsewhere, he pummels people (seen in shadows), chases villains down, and is occasionally threatened with death. A bad guy throws a cat across the room (it simply disappears, so we never see what happened to it) and then is gunned down. There are no profanities. Breathless wears a lot of revealing, low-cut, high-rise outfits. She seductively crawls across Dick's desk, lightly banters with him in mild sexual terms, and tries several times to seduce him (she does get two kisses out of it). Some of her dancing movements are suggestive as her hands "wander" across her body. Big Boy slaps her on the backside several times.

While the entire cast is terrific, it's Charlie Korsmo who steals the show with his freckles and larger-than-life personality as the Kid who can steal anything, get away from anyone, and often comes in handy in a tight spot. He's adorable. He's lovable. He's easily the best character -- although Dick comes in a close second with his charm and courage. Tess is wonderful, a real "looker" with a heart of gold. The enormous heads, wrinkled faces, or sometimes lack of facial features completely are bound to amuse -- but it's Dustin Hoffman I will remember forever as "Mumbles." He turns in a classic performance as someone you cannot understand -- a hysteric who sweats under pressure (or a heat lamp shone right into his eyes). I'll also give a shout out to Mandy Patinkin for having one of the funniest moments in the entire film -- when he laughs, you'll understand why.

Either the bright colors and crazy antics are going to make you queasy or you're gonna love it. I loved it. True, it could be about ten minutes shorter but who's complaining? Not me.