Watching the feature film version of Dick Tracy Returns it becomes apparent how departed you are from the comic strip Dick Tracy and how appalling the serials were. It is just difficult to take any of it seriously.Dick Tracy works for the FBI and he is after Pa Stark, the head of the Stark gang. A rookie FBI agent is shot, but not to worry as Tracy states, he will be fine as he has been placed in an iron lung. The agent dies because no one posted any round the clock guards so Pa Stark sneaked in and pulled the plug on his iron lung.Then you get a scene of Tracy rounding up some bad guys only for his helper Junior shout 'well done Tracy' enabling the others to attack Tracy and Junior being taken hostage.It gets better when one bad guy leaves a briefcase with a bomb behind in Tracy's office with Tracy in another room guessing that the bad guy will slip out while leaving his briefcase behind, Junior runs after the bad guy who is getting away in his car, but he manages to throw the briefcase inside the car just before it explodes.It is all preposterous and silly, even nostalgia cannot save it. Thank goodness for the Warren Beatty version who salvaged Dick Tracy's cinematic reputation.

DICK TRACY RETURNS is a follow up to the original DICK TRACY, with Ralph Byrd returning to the title role alongside some of his peers. I watched the condensed film version of the story, which cuts out all of the cliffhanger endings and endless recaps of the previous instalments and makes for a more fluid watch, even if you lose some of the material at the same time.This time around, Tracy locks horns with the criminal Stark clan, presided over by the delightfully sinister Charles Middleton as Pa Stark. Middleton was well known for playing Ming the Merciless in the Flash Gordon serials and he makes for a good adversary here. Overall, the serial feels more polished than its predecessor, with plentiful action and special effects which hold up even in the 21st century. It has all of the humour, thrills, and spectacle you could wish for, and there's very little faffing about to boot.

Unlike the other three reviewers of this serial, I was quite disappointed.But let me start with a good point. At least the writers came up with a plausible set of characters for the bad guys. The Stark Gang is a noticeable improvement over the Spider (with his tattoo-flashlight signature on the forehead of his victims) and the Lame One (with his three-inch sole added to his shoe and stuttering step) of the original Tracy serial. But there the writers lost their sense of originality and commitment to a believable story. All they did was come up with ten or so special new inventions (super fast boat, special airplane engine, have the Stark gang mysteriously find out about it, have them contact the agent for a 'foreign power' (I guess in '38 you couldn't yet say Germany or Japan - FDR was still keeping the US neutral then, only to have Tracy and his men foil their plans. Then, on to the next episode with a 'insert here' new super special device. One decent story arc throughout the entire 15 chapter - like the Arc Indiana Jones goes after in Raiders (which Lucas and Spielberg supposedly fashioned after these serials) would have been much, much more engaging. The cliffhanging ends of the episodes were also very hackneyed. In virtually all cases, you could predict how Tracy once again cheated death. Car over the cliff? Simple: insert a shot of him jumping out just before it goes over. (And don't worry that he is seemingly unhurt even though the car was going 40+mph). But what REALLY irked me for this one was that unlike most 15 chapter serials that include one 'clip show' episode that reprises events from prior chapters (thus only giving more work to the editor, and sparing all the rest of the crew - hence, saving money), this serial had TWO such episodes. Way to bail on even a modicum of believable credibility, writers! Overall, 5/10

This second entry of the Tracy serials is finally on DVD courtesy of VCI entertainment. Having viewed the first five chapters,it appears that its an improvement over the tape.Sound is Dolby Digital , sharp and crisp.Picture quality varies from chapter to chapter,but is very good overall.If the remaining chapters are the same,it would appear that VCI has done a commendable job restoring this serial,one of the best of the Tracy serials. For the time it was made, this is hard edge story telling. Charles Middleton plays Pa Stark,leader of the notorious Stark gang. He and his sons rob payrolls,deal in hot cars,and cause havoc until Tracy and his G Men get on their trail. In the opening chapter a rookie G man played by stunt ace David Sharpe is shot from behind by one of the Starks during a robbery. He survives and is placed in an iron lung. Fearing that he will identify the shooter,Pa without any remorse,unplugs the iron lung,killing the agent.This is gritty stuff for a serial in 1938! The cast is headed by Ralph Byrd who is perfect in the title roll. Mike McGurk,Junior,Steve Lockwood and Gwen return from the first entry,all played by different actors.The supporting cast,headed by Middleton are all excellent. There is extensive location shooting,chapter endings and resolutions are exciting and for the most part believable. The one downside is the music ,which from time to time, does not fit the action. Over all this long serial ,254 minutes, is fast paced and under the direction of the masters of serial making, William Witney and John English, offers fifteen chapters of non stop action. A must see for anyone who wants to see one of the best of the serial genres .