Films
/
Dick Tracy (1990)
Dick Tracy (1990) poster
Letterboxd

Dick Tracy (1990)

Adventure, Comedy, Crime • 1h 45m

Director: Warren Beatty

Letterboxd
IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Disney Blu-ray

Best English-friendly, video & audio release · updated 1 month ago

Audio notes:

Disney Blu-ray has the original 5.1 CDS mix

Overview

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.

Release details

Length
105 mins
Type
Movie

More from Warren Beatty

See more →

Director: Warren Beatty

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2020 Paramount Blu-ray

More from Disney

See more →

Director: Chris Columbus

Video format: 4K Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney+ has Streaming in 4K

Video Notes:

Fox has Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1995 Fox LaserDisc

Director: Michael Bay

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney+ HD Streaming

Upcoming Release:

4K possibly teased?

Video Notes:

Disney+ has new master better than Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Criterion DVD/Disney Blu-ray is missing a line:

Hummel: (line missing)
 
Lou Lindstrom: "Hello Frank. Lou Lindstrom"

Disney+:

Hummel: Hummel.

Lou Lindstrom: "Hello Frank. Lou Lindstrom"

Directors: Bill Roberts & Paul Satterfield & Wilfred Jackson & Ben Sharpsteen & James Algar & T. Hee & Hamilton Luske & Samuel Armstrong & Jim Handley & Norman Ferguson & David Hand & Ford Beebe Jr.

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Censored: 2010 Disney Blu-ray
Uncensored: 35mm Scan

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

See caps of Blu-ray vs DVD

Best Audio:

1991 CAV LaserDisc

Audio Notes:
  • 1991 CAV LaserDisc includes an approximation of the original Fantasound mix in Dolby Surround using the surviving magnetic mixdown, using Stokowski's original mixing notes as a reference. Original aggressive pans and dynamic range are left in tact.

  • The 2000 DVD uses this same mix in discrete 5.0, but with some unnecessary dynamic range compression + a redub of all Deems Taylor audio with Corey Burton.

  • The 7.1 mix on the 2010 Blu-ray sounds poor, having been hit with excessive noise reduction, dynamic range compression, original aggressive pans no longer in tact, and the channel usage no longer resembles Stokowski's original intended sound design. 

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray announced for a November 25, 2026 release

Best Audio:

Japanese audio: 2014 Japan "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Blu-ray/US GKIDS Blu-ray

English dub (Disney): 1998 US Disney VHS has better sounding vocals despite altered music and sound effects, the US Disney LaserDisc has limited audio

Releases from 2010 onward have the original music and sound effects, but distorted vocals

English dub (Streamline): 1996 Japan LaserDisc, available in Ghibli Aa Ippai Collection boxset

Additional Info:

2012 US Disney Blu-ray has dubtitles. US GKIDS Blu-ray has bonuses that are absent on the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Chris Columbus

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Kaleidescape 4K Streaming

Video Notes:

Disney 4K Blu-ray has encoding issues with bitrates dipping into 40mbps, and Kaleidescape has better encoding than Disney see caps 
Old Fox Blu-ray master is stretched and sharpened

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Best English-Friendly:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · lddb.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit

Best Audio:

All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray has more bonuses than the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Video format: 4K Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

4K Streaming on Disney+ or Disney Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Disney Blu-ray TrueHD 5.1

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Video format: 4K Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

4K Streaming on Disney+ or Disney Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Disney 4K Blu-ray Steelbook

Best Audio:

US Disney Blu-ray LPCM 5.1

Director: Simon West

Video format: 4K Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical: Disney+ has Streaming in 4K without DNR, Disney Blu-ray is a bad master with DNR

Extended: Disney DVD

Upcoming Release:

2026 Disney 4K Blu-ray Steelbook

Director: Joel Schumacher

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Disney+ is Streaming in HD with OAR

Or Disney/Touchstone DVD

Best Audio:

Disney/Touchstone DVD DTS 5.1

More Adventure on Blu-ray

Director: John Huston

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1992 MGM VHS

Director: Howard Hawks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB Blu-ray

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2025 Discotek US Blu-ray SteelBook

Video Notes:

4K Blu-ray is denoised

The 2025 SteelBook uses the same transfer as the 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and 2015 Discotek US Blu-ray but with better white balance.

Best Audio:

Japan: 1995 Japan LaserDisc 

English: 2012 UK Blu-ray

Director: Terence Young

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray despite frozen grain

Best Audio:

UK mix: 1984 CBS Fox VHS Hifi but missing one scene
International mix: WB 4K Blu-ray though source origin is unknown

1995 MGM stereo remix: 1998 LaserDisc and 2000 DVD fix gunbarrel dropout

Director: Preston Sturges

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray slightly better than Criterion Blu-ray, not sure about France Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

(Arrow Blu-ray better than Criterion)

Director: James Cameron

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Fox Blu-ray

Sources: movie-censorship.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Fox Blu-ray for original cuts without the extra scene added in the re-release and AI upscaling

Newer Blu-ray/4K has the extra scene, but is poor and has excessive AI upscaling

Additional Info:

An additional scene was added to the ending of the movie in the 2022 re-release: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=493908

Director: Sidney Lumet

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray replacement disc for fixed audio (there were some dialogues missing)

Additional Info:

While the video on the replacement disc is exactly the same as the original release, the Atmos with missing lines has been corrected as it was also corrected on the Criterion commentary. Criterion also included the 6-track which is almost identical to the PAL track; It’s 4.0 in a 5.1 container. This 6-track is slightly better than the PAL DVD track as the PAL has some flutter on some parts that Criterion doesn’t have.

The Atmos on the replacement is identical to the Imprint AUS Blu-ray track which also has all the lines. The compatibility track is also the same,

It is worth mentioning the Imprint only has the Atmos and no 6-track. The 5.1 surround is with LFE and split surrounds and it’s just a downmix of the Atmos. Ditto for the LPCM 2.0 on said Blu-ray.

Director: Michael Arias

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray is a sharpened upscale. Caps

Best Audio:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

GKIDS 4K Blu-ray has a true lossless English dub and correct volume levels for the Japanese audio

Additional Info:

GKIDS has correct English subtitles that change a few lines from the director-approved dubtitles, to match with the Japanese dialogue better while still remaining true to director Michael Arias' intent. The corrected GKIDS subtitles are director-approved.

Director: Roger Christian

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical Version: Mill Creek Blu-ray

Home Video Version: Concorde Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Japan TC Entertainment Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Director: Jan Švankmajer

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Blu-ray or Athanor The Films of Jan Svankmajer Blu-ray

Best Audio:

BFI Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

BFI Blu-ray for both original Czech and English dub audio in lossless format

Additional Info:

Athanor The Films of Jan Svankmajer Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Edit history

2 edits

Researched and maintained by

vanshadyHydra Spectre

· last reviewed 1 month ago

Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.