adonis98-743-186503
Dirty Harry is on the trail of vigilante cops who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables. Magnum Force is old Cinema at perhaps it's best form with lot's of action, terrific perfomances by Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook and the rest of the cast as a whole but also an interesting, thrilling and full of suspense storyline. Dirty Harry was an entertaining and spectacular movie and this sequel still keeps that awesome, badass and greatness of that film and brings on a sequel that i could only describe it as the 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' of the Series which means? Just as freaking good as the first!!
Shawn Watson
The longest Dirty Harry movie, clocking in at 124 minutes, Magnum Force actually gives us a plot with multiple threads to follow, and is, as a result, a much better movie than the original. This time around Harry must solve a series of brutal vigilante murders, gradually narrowing it down to a group of corrupt cops. He does actual detective work this time and uses his cunning to track the bad guys. The trick with deliberately missing his mark at the shooting range to retrieve the incriminating bullet was a smart move. There was nothing like this in the, frankly overrated, first movie.The violence, even by today's standards, is graphic and upsetting. Seeing corpses writhe in agony after getting shot directly in the forehead, is hard to watch. Imagine suffering such a would and, knowing you were dying, lost control of your limbs. You don't see this in movies anymore. Gun violence is often overplayed and made to look cool while the grim reality of being murdered in this horrible way is rarely seen. I appreciate the movie for having the moxie to show us a more realistic depiction.Director Ted Post, who directed Eastwood in Hang 'Em High, uses the anamorphic Panavision framing very well and there are multiple awesome compositions in the film. The slow, laid-back pace of Don Siegel is gone and the movie feels broader in scope while at the same time being an ironic response to the negative critical backlash that the first received. There's more weight and wit in Magnum Force, there's more to talk about, giving it higher re-watch value.I know my opinion is controversial, but Magnum Force is simply more enjoyable and prompts deeper debate.
Woodyanders
Maverick detective Harry Callahan (smoothly played by the ever-cool Clint Eastwood) faces off against a gang of rookie cops who are killing criminals that the flawed system has allowed to get away with their heinous misdeeds.Director Ted Post relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, maintains a pretty harsh'n'gritty tone throughout, and stages the rousing action sequences with skill and flair. The smart and trenchant script by John Milius and Michael Cimino takes a strong stance against the abuse of authority and states a powerful central point on how vigilantism opens up a can of moral worms that's more trouble than what it's worth. The sound acting by the sturdy cast keeps this film on track: Hal Holbrook as fed-up disapproving superior Lt. Briggs, Felton Perry as easygoing partner Early Smith, Mitchell Ryan as bitter burnt-out veteran patrolman McCoy, and John Mitchum as the cynical DiGiorgio. David Soul, Tim Matheson, Kip Niven, and Robert Urich are quite good as the eager rookie motorcycle cops who take the law into their own hands. The fetching Adele Yoshioka makes a nice impression as alluring hot to trot neighbor Sunny. The startling moments of brutal violence pack a fierce punch. Frank Stanley's crisp widescreen cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. Lalo Schifrin's funky-throbbing score hits the right-on groovy spot. A satisfying sequel to the excellent original.
writers_reign
As sequels go this is a tad better than the majority and gives Clint Eastwood a chance to develop his Dirty Harry Callaghan persona. Unlike at least one other person I had no problem with the sequence where Callaghan foils an attempted plane hi-jack. Whilst it's true it has nothing to do with the main plot - finding out who comprise the vigilantes within the department - it reminds us that Harry gets results albeit via unorthodox methods and telegraphs that sooner or later he'll root out the vigilantes. It would have been nicer if Hal Holbrook didn't make it so easy for the audience to catch wise to him but overall it's a satisfying and entertaining divertissment.
AD
