Dick Tracy (1990)

All Critics (45) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (16) | DVD (14)

Beatty and his team of collaborators have heightened the vibrantly tawdry urban night world of Chester Gould's classic comic strip.

July 7, 2010 Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Top Critic

Though it looks ravishing, Warren Beatty's longtime pet project is a curiously remote, uninvolving film.

April 23, 2009 Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

This has an appealing two-dimensional comic-book look, but lacks the vision to go with it, not to mention an interesting hero or a feeling for action.

April 18, 2007 Full Review | Comment (1)

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

A spectacular movie whose technical achievements -- notably the sharp editing -- will surely provide a gauge by which subsequent comic strip films are judged.

January 26, 2006 Full Review

Time Out

Top Critic

Summer hasn't officially arrived yet, but it's unlikely to offer a big-budget commercial movie as thoroughly entertaining as this stylish real-life cartoon.

May 20, 2003 Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

For all its superficial pleasures, Dick Tracy ultimately flounders because it provides an audience with nothing to take home and dream about.

May 12, 2001 | Comment (1)

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

"Dick Tracy" isn't in the top tier of comic-book adaptations, but ingenuous art direction and set decoration and some crazy make-up jobs create a film that's still a delight to watch.

December 10, 2012 Full Review

James Plath

Movie Metropolis

Fails to be a compelling watch.

July 30, 2012 Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A waste of time and money.

July 13, 2010 Full Review | Comment (1)

Film4

The film moves at a chug when it should put the pedal to the floor.

July 7, 2010 Full Review

Keith Phipps

Slate

Dick Tracy is skillfully mounted, generating an optical wonderland for the viewer, with all sorts of details and photographic vibrancy to study when the film takes off on the wings of a tune.

June 19, 2010 Full Review

Brian Orndorf

BrianOrndorf.com

So deliberately, carefully shallow, so conceptually audacious; and yes, so unearthly beautiful in every last frame.

June 7, 2010 Full Review

Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

...an impressively conceived piece of work that has just as much to offer adults as it does children...

April 26, 2010 Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

The movie may lack unified conception, but it's supremely entertaining due to sumptuous production, lavish imagery and opulent costumes, and some terrific cameo appearances, such as Al Pacino.

March 23, 2009 Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

In sheer visual terms, this is the most convincing of the comic book movies that have been popular for the last decade or so.

April 18, 2007 Full Review

TV Guide's Movie Guide

One of the most entertaining and creative event movies of the Reagan-era

March 11, 2006 | Comments (2)

Clint Morris

Moviehole

A ground-breaking and striking comic-based movie, though the villains are too easily vanquished

July 27, 2004

Luke Y. Thompson

New Times

Should have stayed in the funny pages.

September 15, 2003 | Comment (1)

Kevin A. Ranson

MovieCrypt.com

No other movie ever made looks like this. ...But the design doesn't overwhelm the actors. Director Beatty knows how to bring out the brightest in his cast...

August 5, 2003 Full Review

James Sanford

Kalamazoo Gazette

Lame and tedious comic book film. Try THE SHADOW or THE ROCKETEER instead.

March 19, 2003 | Comment (1)

Brian Mckay

eFilmCritic.com

This is a unique movie experience, well conceived and executed.

March 16, 2003 Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

• 1. Big Boy Caprice: You're dirty, Lips. You need a bath.
  2. Lips Manlis: No, not the bath, Big Boy! Not the Bath!
  – Submitted by Chris R (22 days ago)
• 1. Dick Tracy: Tess, there's about as much chance of me getting behind a desk as there is of me getting a new girlfriend.
  – Submitted by Chris R (22 days ago)
• 1. Lips Manlis: That was beautiful as always.
  2. Breathless Mahoney: I'm so happy you liked it. You mind if I leave?
  3. Lips Manlis: Why?
  4. Breathless Mahoney: I get sick when you eat.
  5. Lips Manlis: You didn't used to.
  6. Breathless Mahoney: You didn't used to be a zeppelin.
  – Submitted by Chris R (22 days ago)
• 1. Tess Trueheart: Tracy, if you weren't risking your neck every night, you could have a wife. I mean a life!
  – Submitted by Chris R (22 days ago)
• 1. Big Boy Caprice: Wait a minute! Wait. I'm having a thought. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I'm gonna have a thought. It's coming. It's gone.
  – Submitted by Nick S (22 days ago)
• 1. Spaldoni: I'm out.
  2. Big Boy Caprice: It only works if we're all in.
  3. Spaldoni: Then it don't work.
  – Submitted by Chris R (23 days ago)

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