DICK TRACY (DVD) (1999) DVD

Dick Tracy
Warren Beatty directed and starred in this big-budget action comedy featuring Chester Gould's square-jawed, two-dimensional comic strip detective. Ruthless gangster Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) touches off a gang war against underworld boss Lips Manlis (Paul Sorvino), with Big Boy and his minions rubbing out enough of Manlis's goons (along with Manlis himself) to take over his nightclub, and a healthy percentage of the city's criminal activities in the process. Caprice also gains proprietary rights to Manlis's girlfriend, nightclub chanteuse Breathless Mahoney (Madonna). Big Boy's next move to is unite the rest of the city's crooks under his command; this wave of corruption attracts the attention of lawman Dick Tracy, who is determined to smash Caprice's criminal network once and for all. As Tracy plots to put Big Boy behind bars where he belongs, Breathless uses her considerable charms in an attempt to sway Tracy from the path of righteousness; this causes no small amount of anxiety for Tracy's long-suffering female companion, Tess Trueheart (Glenne Headly), and the street-smart kid (Charlie Korsmo) they've been keeping an eye on. The various bad guys, heavily made up to resemble Gould's cartoon characters (though Beatty is not made up to resemble Tracy), include Dustin Hoffman, James Caan, R.G. Armstrong, and William Forsythe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Warren Beatty as Dick Tracy Charlie Korsmo as Kid Glenne Headly as Tess Trueheart Madonna as Breathless Mahoney Al Pacino as Big Boy Caprice Dustin Hoffman as Mumbles William Forsythe as Flattop Charles Durning as Chief Brandon Mandy Patinkin as 88 Keys Paul Sorvino as Lips Manlis R.G. Armstrong as Pruneface Dick Van Dyke as D.A. Fletcher Seymour Cassel as Sam Catchem James Keane as Pat Patton Allen Garfield as Reporter John Schuck as Reporter Charles Fleischer as Reporter James Tolkan as Numbers Kathy Bates as Mrs. Green Catherine O'Hara as Texie Garcia Henry Silva as Influence James Caan as Spaldoni Bert Remsen as Bartender Frank Campanella as Judge Harper Michael J. Pollard as Bug Bailey Estelle Parsons as Mrs. Trueheart Mary Woronov as Welfare Person Henry Jones as Night Clerk Mike Mazurki as Old Man at Hotel

Crew Harold Michelson - Art Director Allen Gonzales - Animator Sanuel Recinos - Animator Jim Van Wyck - Associate Producer Jackie Burch - Casting Jeffery Hornaday - Choreography Jon Landau - Co-producer Milena Canonero - Costume Designer Warren Beatty - Director Richard Marks - Editor Art Linson - Executive Producer Barrie M. Osborne - Executive Producer Floyd Mutrux - Executive Producer Danny Elfman - Composer (Music Score) Thomas Pasatieri - Songwriter Jeff Lass - Songwriter Stephen Sondheim - Songwriter Andy Paley - Songwriter William Elliott - Songwriter Kevin Haney - Makeup Cheri Minns - Makeup John Caglione, Jr. - Makeup Special Effects Doug Drexler - Makeup Special Effects Richard Sylbert - Production Designer Vittorio Storaro - Cinematographer Warren Beatty - Producer James Murakami - Set Designer Eric Orbom - Set Designer Henry Alberti - Set Designer Rick Simpson - Set Designer Buena Vista Visual Effects Group - Special Effects Michael Lloyd - Special Effects Lawrence James Cavanaugh - Special Effects Harrison Ellenshaw - Special Effects David E. Campbell - Sound/Sound Designer Doug Hemphill - Sound/Sound Designer Billy Burton - Stunts Bo Goldman - Screenwriter Jack Epps, Jr. - Screenwriter Warren Beatty - Screenwriter Jim Cash - Screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr. - Screenwriter Peter Ellenshaw - Matte Artist

Dick Tracy
Ravishing production design from Richard Sylbert, gorgeous cinematography from Vittorio Storaro, and a memorable musical score from Stephen Sondheim (performed ably by pop star Madonna) are the highlights of this film from co-writer, director, producer, and star Warren Beatty. Unfortunately, the film's script has been worked over by a committee of scribes, resulting in a somewhat fractured narrative that is the typical end product of too many cooks in the literary kitchen. There is probably no film of the late 20th century that more powerfully proves the old adage, "If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage." Every single production element here is superior, from the makeup effects to the costumes, to the supporting players such as Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Glenne Headly. In fact, from a strictly visual point of view, Dick Tracy (1990) is probably one of the best-made films of the decade, featuring a crew of skilled artisans at the top of their collective game. In the story department, however, the film never quite gels, displaying the same emotional flatness as the two-dimensional comic strip it's based upon, never coming to life in the exhilarating fashion of other comics-based films such as Batman (1989) and The X-Men (2000). The hard emphasis is clearly on the "noble" in "noble failure," but Dick Tracy just doesn't quite work. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
 

Al Pacino: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominated) Al Pacino: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominated) Chris Jenkins: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (nominated) David E. Campbell: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (nominated) Doug Drexler: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Makeup (nominated) Doug Hemphill: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (nominated) John Caglione, Jr.: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Makeup (winner) Milena Canonero: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Costume Design (nominated) Richard Sylbert: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (winner) Rick Simpson: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (winner) Stephen Sondheim: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (winner) Stephen Sondheim: Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated) Thomas D. Causey: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Sound (nominated) Vittorio Storaro: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Cinematography (nominated) Vittorio Storaro: American Society of Cinematographers, Best Cinematography (nominated)

Golden Globe, Best Picture - Musical or Comedy (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: French Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: 5.1: 5 full-range channels. Includes 3 for the front speakers, 2 surround channels for rear speakers, & 1 low-frequency effects (LFE) channel to carry deep bass effects DTS: Digital Theater Systems (akin to 5.1) Additional Features: DTS 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound French-language track Widescreen (1.85:1) DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 105 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 255. Chapter Selection 1. Opening Titles/A Night On the Town [8:26] 2. The Kid [5:53] 3. Where's Lips Manlis? [7:54] 4. False Arrest [9:46] 5. Big Boy's Vision [5:09] 6. Refusing An Offer [12:42] 7. Club Ritz Raid [2:43] 8. Southside Warehouse [4:05] 9. Blackmail [:14] 10. New Year's Eve [9:28] 11. Kidnapped [8:03] 12. One In A Million/End Credits [11:30]