jonathan_k80

I was so looking forward to this movie and don't want to go so far as saying I was disappointed. I thought this was a decent effort because it captured the essence of the original program but not much of its charm.

The characters of Dr. Drakken and Shego were portrayed fairly well. The actors came close to imitating the original voice artists, especially Drakken's maniacal laughter. Shego's sarcastic comebacks were there, too, but could have been utilized more often. Ron was okay and did come across as the clumsy nerdy sidekick, as he should have.

I thought Kim was a little too vulnerable in this movie. In the original series, she had her moments of self-doubt, but never to the point of a near-total meltdown lack of confidence. Also lacking was the interaction among Kim's immediate family. There was no loving exchange between the parents and no rivalry between Kim and her younger twin brothers (the "Tweebs"). In fact, her dad's and brothers' appearances were not much more than cameos.

Special effects were on par for a made-for-TV film. Some of the fight scenes were awkward with Kim's flying kicks and back-flips appearing a little too contrived. I don't fault the effects department because they did the best they could translating a cartoon into live action. There are just certain physical movements that are impossible to replicate in real life.

Original creators Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley were back as executive producers, and I believe this is what saved the film. Had it been in the hands of someone else, it could have been a complete flop. The plot was left open-ended, so who knows if we will see a sequel, or better yet, a revival of the animated series. I am hoping for the latter.

And what does this series have to do with the classic detective comic strip? Other than a couple of cameo appearances by the title character and watered-down versions of the strip's famous villains... absolutely nothing.

The "Dick Tracy" comic has been around since 1931, and if you have ever read any of the strips, you would soon realize it was aimed at an adult audience. It was filled with grotesque criminals who often met their end in a gruesome manner such as a bullet through the head, impalement, or being burned alive. The creator, Chester Gould, had no qualms about visually depicting the grisly demise of these villains. It was definitely not for young children.

So who thought Dick Tracy would make a great concept for a kids' show? Or what drugs were available in 1960 when this series was being developed? And why would Chester Gould allow his characters to be so trivialized? He is actually credited in the opening title sequence; if I were him I would have been embarrassed to have my name attached this horrible program.

Yes, it is horrible. Minus the opening and closing credits, each episode runs less than four minutes, and Dick Tracy only appears for a total of about 30 to 50 seconds. We see him in the opening scene at his desk finishing up a phone call from his superior. "Okay, Chief, I'll get on it right away. Dick Tracy calling ________." This same footage and dialogue is recycled in every single episode. Yes, EVERY SINGLE EPISODE. Tracy assigns the case to one of four assistant detectives, then is not seen again until the wrap-up at the end. So, why is this called "The Dick Tracy Show"?

"The Lame Assistant Detective Show" would be a better description. Other reviewers have commented on these pathetic characters, so I won't recap what they have already described. However, I will re-emphasize the fact that two of the detectives are racist stereotypes. That alone should be enough to make viewers want to avoid this series, but there is more.

The animation is atrocious. There is a lot of reused footage, flopped (reversed) images and other cost-cutting measures that make it obvious this was made on an extremely limited budget. A handful of classic villains from the comic strip have been transformed into overly- cartoonish children's characters, and these same villains are used over and over. The dialogue is filled with groan-inducing puns that first- or second-grade schoolkids might find funny. Sight gags consist of tired overdone rehashes from other cartoons. The "Hold Everything!" joke (where a character in a predicament freezes the surrounding action) gets really old when it appears in every, yes EVERY, episode, although we do get to see an extra ten seconds of Dick Tracy on screen when the assistant detective calls for help.

This series is available on DVD. Unbelievable. I can't see anyone actually spending money on such mind-numbing material.