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    Magnum Force

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    The more I see of the “Dirty Harry” films, the more I enjoy them. While “Magnum Force” is missing a villain of the same calibre as Scorpio, this film compensates with a great premise and some nice developments that further flesh out the no-nonsense gun-totting hero.

    Inspector ‘Dirty’ Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) has never been one to play it by the book. When a SFPD motorcycle cop begins taking the law into his own hands and slaughtering criminals wholesale, even he thinks it’s too much. Harry takes it upon himself to find the vigilante.

    The most interesting element of this film is that Harry isn’t really up against a single bad guy. His enemy is an idea. When is our hero’s trademark ‘cut the bullshit’ form of justice too much? It’s not as if the people executed are innocent bystanders. Clearly, whoever is behind these murders (we’ll address that question in a moment) feels that the justice system has failed. You understand why. For Harry and the audience, it can be tough to say that the system works, to figure out where to draw the line. That’s what makes the film such a good sequel. It’s the equivalent of Harry going up against his evil twin.

    Where “Magnum Force” falls a short is in the mystery. It's hardly a challenge to decipher who the mysterious gunman is. We’re given a red herring that throws Harry and his new partner Earlington "Early" Smith (Felton Perry) off, but we know better. That said, there are enough surprises and the central premise, combined with Eastwood's trademark character, add up to a lot. You can't help feeling a little let down, however. You look at how good the rest of the picture is and wish it everything was on that level.

    Another aspect to appreciate is the action. This story feels less like a movie story and more like a week in the life of Dirty Harry. He embarks on numerous chases, shootout, and we get that iconic Callahan wit. The film is the longest in the series, but the subplots ensure it never feels slow. On paper, I'm not sure how I feel about Dirty Harry in a budding relationship but in practice, I actually found it rather sweet, more proof that there is a human being beneath the abrasive exterior.

    “Magnum Force” is not as strong as the first “Dirty Harry”, but this is a good sequel. It takes some of the ideas introduced in the first story and turns them on their head, develops the character further, and delivers when it comes to the thrills. (On DVD, July 28, 2017)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  21.1.2017 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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