The movie follows Dick Tracy in 1938 Chicago as he finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while attempting to stop the crime spree of Big Boy Caprice.
"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.
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.
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.
A spectacular movie whose technical achievements -- notably the sharp editing -- will surely provide a gauge by which subsequent comic strip films are judged.
