When I was growing up, there was a hard edge to the Dick Tracy comic strip. I remember Flat Top's acne and the viciousness of the other adversaries. Most of the surreal appeal of these villains is badly lost in these old films. The Warren Beatty film was also a major disappointment. I would love someone like Tim Burton to take it on sometime. Put Tracy among all that weirdity and make the villains sort of sick. That said, this is a real ho-hummer. The cops and the sidekicks aren't all that bright. The main character is a guy with a hook who apparently can dismantle just about anyone with the thing. The acting is stiff. Tess Truehart is her usual bland self. I'm sure that few remember Dick Tracy as it was, but maybe some day they will find it and make it right.