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Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy

Their turf. Their game. Their rules. They didn't count on HIS law...

1990105 minPGMidcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Director
Warren Beatty
Starring
Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Madonna, Dustin Hoffman

The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dick Tracy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Dick Tracy to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Dick Tracy?

Dick Tracy earns 8 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Visual feast.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Dick Tracy worth watching?

Dick Tracy's Midcredits score is the 51st percentile of all films, from 134K ratings across 6 sources. 44% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

51st percentile

Better received than 51% of films

67th percentile among Action55th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)58th
Approval (how many liked it)44th

64 /100

58th percentile of all films

74th percentile among Action62nd percentile among 1990s

Critics 68 · Audience 63

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

44% liked it

44th percentile of all films

58th percentile among Action46th percentile among 1990s
44% rated it 7–1056% rated it 1–6

Critics 63% · Audience 53%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

3 Oscars won · 4 Oscar noms · 8 wins / 36 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Makeup

94th percentile

134K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Action92nd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 54% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$47M
Opening weekend$23M
Domestic gross$104M
Worldwide gross$163M

Returned 3.5× its budget — 89th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a visually dazzling, style-over-substance comic-strip adaptation with a shallow plot and a mixed bag of performances.

Fans praised

  • stunning primary-color palette and pop-art production design
  • Al Pacino's over-the-top performance as Big Boy Caprice
  • faithful comic-strip aesthetic with impressive makeup and sets

Detractors panned

  • wooden, expressionless lead performance from Beatty
  • convoluted, incoherent plot crammed with too many villains
  • Madonna's weak acting and grating musical numbers

What stands out

Cinematography85

Vittorio Storaro's vibrant color palette widely acclaimed

Atmosphere80

immersive comic-book world built with color and design

Effects and spectacle75

impressive matte paintings and prosthetics, dated action

Sound and music70

Danny Elfman score effective but reminiscent of Batman

ActingDivisive65

divisive: Pacino's hammy turn praised by fans, Beatty's flat delivery panned

CharactersDivisive40

one-dimensional heroes and underdeveloped villain roster

PacingDivisive40

slow and uneven, musical numbers stall momentum

Plot and storyDivisive35

disjointed, overstuffed with no narrative momentum

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 16 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 15 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Dick Tracy like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
TenseRomanticThrilling
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsWarm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its comic-strip world straight, with heightened sincerity and a knowing wink in its over-the-top villain performances.
The rideThe tension of the mob conflict and romantic rivalry build steadily, with the confrontational climax likely being the most intense.
StructureThe story unfolds in a linear fashion from Tracy's investigation through escalating confrontations to a climactic rescue.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunFeel-good
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's vibrant visuals, upbeat ending, and classic heroics leave a light, satisfying feeling.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeDick Tracy pursues the city's top crime boss Big Boy Caprice, gathering evidence through raids, wiretaps, and witness coercion while protecting his girlfriend and a street orphan.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a detective's pursuit of justice against organized crime while navigating romantic advances that complicate his mission.
StanceThe film celebrates the detective's dedication to justice as he cleans up the city, portrayed as a heroic endeavor.

The world

Early 20th centuryUrbanStylized realism
Orchestral modernJazzForeground music · original score · Danny Elfman
SettingA crime-ridden city in the 1930s, drawn from comic strip aesthetics.
MusicElfman's score blends big-band jazz with a moody orchestral noir sound, reflecting the comic-strip era.

Content guide

Is Dick Tracy okay for kids?

PG

Dick Tracy is rated PG. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at moderate (46/100), language at minimal (14/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Overall it is heavier than 75% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • IrelandPG
  • JapanG
  • Brazil12
  • Hungary12
  • Netherlands12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 28% of all filmsHeavier than 75% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 86%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 90%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 22%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 69%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 38%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 86% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Dick Tracy have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dick Tracy?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Warren Beatty
as Dick Tracy
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Al Pacino
as Big Boy Caprice
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Madonna
as Breathless Mahoney
Dustin Hoffman
as Mumbles
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
James Caan
as Spaldoni
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Charlie Korsmo
as Kid
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Glenne Headly
as Tess Trueheart
Mandy Patinkin
as 88 Keys
Seymour Cassel
as Sam Catchem
James Keane
as Pat Patton

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Dick Tracy?

Movies like Dick Tracy include Batman (1989), Police Story (1985) and The Untouchables (1987). Of the 12 closest matches, several are gangster films, and most are films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its subject: justice. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Dick Tracy?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: gangster. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.