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Yes, this is a movie that lacks brains, but in this film, there's an admirable quality about it. Again, in not much stretch of acting ability, Eastwood lowers the ranks of Mr Harry Callahan, playing a drunken loser of a cop, Ben Shockley, who becomes a pawn for murder, while transporting a female prisoner (Locke) who is first thought to be a guy, thanks to a name mix up, or could it be he was given the wrong message on grounds that Shockley may of not accepted the job if it was a guy, as this prisoner is a witness to a mob hit, involving crooked cops. But unlike Callahan, Shockley is a guy that obeys his fellow commanders. Trying to keeping Locke and himself, is a dangerous mission, where you have to wait until the end, for the blood to spill, in an overdone shootout in a bus, which in reality, you couldn't survive, Locke coming out of the big bullet holed bus, with hardly a scratch. This low brainer does have some cool moments, where on the surface,. this isn't a badly made actioner, that uses some good locations, and like Eastwood's Phillow Bello. he tackles another cluster of bikies, you do feel sorry for, Eastwood even mentioning his favorite ape's name, while pointing a gun at one of them. Take this, for what it's worth, an entertaining no brained actioner, with it's share of faults, we can dismiss, as we just want to great to get caught up in the stupidity of it all. William Prince is good as the bent cop, with great actor Robert Cavanaugh, as as his squirmy right hand man. Cavanaugh went onto playing the lead baddie again, with Clint, in the messy third Dirty Harry film, while also playing the baddie in the worst Chuck Norris flick, I won't mention. This too, would have to be the worst film, our lead actor/director, ever made.
slightlymad22
The Gauntlet (1977)Plot In A Paragraph: A cop (Eastwood) is assigned to escort a prostitute (Sondra Locke) into custody from Las Vegas to Phoenix, so that she can testify in a mob trial. But a lot of people are literally betting that they won't make it into town alive.Assuming joint actor/director responsibilities for a fifth occasion, Clint Eastwood directed himself and Outlaw Josie Wales costar Sondra Locke in what essentially is a screwball comedy masquerading as an action adventure.The pacing of the movie is tight, the dialogue cracking with crude insults and snappy banter and the action is well staged too. Ben Shockley is no Harry Callaghan (even if they both share s downbeat sense of humour and a grumpy temperament) as unlike the dynamic and instinctive Harry Callaghan, who is always in control and always ready for action, Shockley is an underachieving Buffoon, slow on his feet and slow on the uptake, and blind to the corruption in the police force. Sondra Locke so cute and vulnerable in The Outlaw Josie Wales, does a complete turn around as Gus Mally is feisty and foul mouthed. Once again her character is the victim of a sexual assault. Like Dirty Harry and Kate Moore in The Enforcer, Shockley and Mally are at odds from the start, but slowly and inevitably they earn to each other during the course of the movie. After a decent sized role in The Outlaw Josey Wales, Malpaso regular Bill McKinney was back to a smaller role as a lewd constable. Pat Hingle also has a small but memorable role as Shockleys former partner and William Prince is fine as Blakelock.Once again Jerry Fielding (his third Eastwood movie in a row) does a great job of composing the score, and I need to add this movie has a great poster. The Gauntlet grossed $35 mill at the domestic Box Office to end 1977 as the 14th highest grossing movie of the year.
Maziun
"The Gauntlet" is an enjoyable thriller/action movie about a cop that must deliver a witness to the court . The story is mostly quite predictable , yet there are some nice twists and ideas along the way . Eastwood as the director nicely switches the mood of the movie from very serious to ironic. The shootouts and the fights have some raw energy that is impressive. Some of the dialogue here are very quotable . My favorite is " I give her 2 , because I haven't yet met a woman I could give 1".Clint Eastwood is , well , Eastwood . You know he will be badass . He's a cop that not only follows order , but also thinks. Sondra Locke is great as the prisoner and ex-prostitute . She's feisty and tough . She and Eastwood has a great chemistry together.The helicopter chase is really nice . I must admit that Sondra Locke talking by the phone in the hotel is one of the sweetest movie scenes I have ever seen. The image of all those cops standing on the street and the destroyed bus is quite powerful one . Only the ending seems a little clumsy and rushed.All in all it's a not bad one from Clint. Watch out for Pat Hingle ("Batman") as the loyal friend of Eastwood . I give it 5/10.
AaronCapenBanner
Clint Eastwood directs and stars as alcoholic and undistinguished Phoenix cop Ben Shockley, who is given a seemingly routine assignment of escorting a prisoner(Sondra Locke) from Las Vegas back to Phoenix to stand trial. Shockley then learns that his prisoner is really a witness set to testify against the mob, and that there is even public betting on him losing her! Shockley then decides he will bring in his witness, no matter how many attempts on their lives are made(and corruption in the police department is revealed), even if they have to drive an armored-plated bus(and survive the gauntlet of police) by city hall to safety.Though filled with action, and peppered with salty dialogue, this film becomes increasingly preposterous, leading to a truly stupid, heavy handed finale. So bad it is almost good; certainly a cult classic.
AD
