The Dirty Harry series will always have a special place in my heart – just because it's so darned cool. Clint Eastwood lives and breathes the role of the unorthodox cop, and by the time of this third sequel – the fourth and penultimate movie in the long-running franchise – he shows no signs of flagging or losing enthusiasm for his subject matter, directing as well as starring as the tough cop.
This has got to be the most entertaining Dirty Harry since the first movie. The series makes a fine segue from late '70s grittiness to early '80s flashiness, retaining the same hard edge that made the early films so successful. Here, Harry is once again arguing with his superiors, who this time send him on an enforced holiday to a little town where he begins to track down a serial killer. Along with that, the usual hoodlums and gangsters are gunning for our hero, leading to a literally action-packed movie in which we watch Harry chase a thug through the streets in an old people's bus (a highlight), have shoot-outs with his trusty sidepiece, and even deliver another famous line – this time, it's the "make my day" one.
The main thrust of the story is about Eastwood's one time partner, Sondra Locke, as we follow her delivering her own brand of justice against a gang of men who once gang-raped her and her sister. It's a violent chronicle, exposing the psychology of such a crime, and it works, providing a fitting parallel to Harry's own character. The cast are at the top of their game here, with nobody putting a foot wrong, from the icy, slightly alien Locke, to Paul Drake as a truly loathsome baddie. There are also a ton of great character actors filling out supporting roles, like Bradford Dillman, Pat Hingle, and in particular Albert Popwell, who is fine as Harry's partner. Add in some great laughs in the form of a bad-mannered dog and you have a great film that just gets better as time goes by.
This has got to be the most entertaining Dirty Harry since the first movie. The series makes a fine segue from late '70s grittiness to early '80s flashiness, retaining the same hard edge that made the early films so successful. Here, Harry is once again arguing with his superiors, who this time send him on an enforced holiday to a little town where he begins to track down a serial killer. Along with that, the usual hoodlums and gangsters are gunning for our hero, leading to a literally action-packed movie in which we watch Harry chase a thug through the streets in an old people's bus (a highlight), have shoot-outs with his trusty sidepiece, and even deliver another famous line – this time, it's the "make my day" one.
The main thrust of the story is about Eastwood's one time partner, Sondra Locke, as we follow her delivering her own brand of justice against a gang of men who once gang-raped her and her sister. It's a violent chronicle, exposing the psychology of such a crime, and it works, providing a fitting parallel to Harry's own character. The cast are at the top of their game here, with nobody putting a foot wrong, from the icy, slightly alien Locke, to Paul Drake as a truly loathsome baddie. There are also a ton of great character actors filling out supporting roles, like Bradford Dillman, Pat Hingle, and in particular Albert Popwell, who is fine as Harry's partner. Add in some great laughs in the form of a bad-mannered dog and you have a great film that just gets better as time goes by.