The second of the 'Dirty Harry' series, this one has Harry/Clint on the trail of vigilante cops who are bumping off a series of local baddies without due process.
In its day, 'Dirty Harry' came under criticism for glorifying vigilantism and being fascistic. Here, Harry states very clearly that he has been misjudged and that, despite his reputation for a somewhat over-direct approach, he is firmly on the side of the system.
Clint Eastwood is one of my favourite actors and this is yet another excellent film. Yes, it's a little dated by today's standards but I think it has stood the test of time well.
4/5 stars - great stuff!
This sequel to Dirty Harry is usually considered inferior. There is a less auspicious director, with Don Siegel replaced by Ted Post who came from tv. But I prefer Magnum Force, mainly for the interesting premise; if the public wants the pragmatic, instant justice of Harry's 44. Magnum, how far are they willing to go? Fascism?
A death squad of 'Frisco motorcycle cops is executing the Mafia bosses that the liberal courts are unable to touch, because... the law protects the crooks. Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is their hero, but he has changed. The bigoted lone gun is buddied up with an African-American sidekick and has a Japanese girlfriend. The iconoclast now defends the system.
The sequel has plenty of what gave Dirty Harry its salacious clout. There's the scuzzy funk-noir of Lalo Schifrin's theme music; the squalid, nocturnal, neon lit urban decay; and Eastwood, without ever threatening to put in a performance is still charismatic. Like the Man With No Name slept through basic training and now has a license to kill.
The main deficit is that in the attempt to exploit the realities of the naked city, it spills over into voyeuristic sadism. Changing Harry into a babe-magnet says more about the star's contemporary box office appeal. But that's the early '70s, and it's actually that period aesthetic which is a major part of the film's enduring attraction.