Magnum Force (1973)

3.5 / 5 Aug '10
Tagline: Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force
Directed by: Ted Post
Written by: Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, John Milius
Actors include: Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitch Ryan
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Length: 124 minutes
Banned: Nope

Review:
I really enjoyed Dirty Harry, and I'd heard that most of the sequels were a lot of fun too, so it was easy to want to watch this one. Of course it's the second release in the series but unfortunately it feels like it's missing something. This does have many violent shoot outs and Harry moving from one situation to the next using his unique brand of justice. The main plot is about a bunch of bad guys who are being brutally killed...by cops! Will Harry sympathize or will he uphold justice if he can even tell what that is any more. It was honestly not bad but it just seemed like a string of events loosely bound together by the fact that Harry was there. It had it's exciting moments but for the most part it failed to impress and it was way too long. I do hope that the other sequels have a little more oomph and personality.

Availability:  On Blu-Ray & DVD

Dirty Harry (1971)

4.5 / 5
Tagline: You don't assign him to murder cases, You just turn him loose.
Directed by: Don Siegel
Written by: Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink
Actors include: Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Length: 102 minutes
Banned: Finland

Review:
I wasn't sure that I'd ever get into cop thrillers, I hate to say that I'd always considered them "boy" movies and so I've avoided. Once again I was wrong to do so for this was one action packed stylish thrilling flick! Firstly it's impossible not to love Clint Eastwood, especially as this Dirty Harry character who plays by his own rules. He says what he likes (iconic sayings of course), shoots first and asks questions later plus he's a bonafied hero that is afraid of nothing! In this story his major foe is a serial killer (very similar to the real live Zodiac killings) who happens to be an all around bad guy in every sense of the word (he's even freaky looking). He has to deal with a new partner, the force which is trying to make him play by the rules while stopping at nothing to try to nab the crook. It's purely awesome in nearly every way, and I can't wait to see the sequels if they are half as great as this film!

Availability:  On DVD & Blu-Ray