Synopsis
"Dirty" Harry Callahan is a San Francisco Police Inspector on the trail of a group of rogue cops who have taken justice into their own hands. When shady characters are murdered one after another in grisly fashion, only Dirty Harry can stop them.
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Cast
- Clint EastwoodHarry Callahan
- Hal HolbrookLieutenant Briggs
- Mitchell RyanCharlie McCoy
- David SoulJohn Davis
- Tim MathesonPhil Sweet
- Kip NivenRed Astrachan
- Robert UrichMike Grimes
- Felton PerryEarly Smith
- Tony GiorgioFrank Palancio
- Christine WhiteCarol McCoy
Recommendations
- 75
TV Guide Magazine
One of the more graphically violent movies ever made, Magnum Force is shatteringly effective. - 70
Variety
The story contains the usual surfeit of human massacre for the yahoo trade, as well as a few actual thoughts. - 60
Empire
This has grit coming out of its ears but not the greatest Eastwood feature by a long shot. - 60
Film Threat
I have always been of the belief that the best way to get things done would be to have some benevolent dictator running things. The problem is always finding the right sage magician for the job. Harry Callahan probably wouldn’t be my first choice, but he sure is entertaining when he shoots people. - 60
Time Out
While never as disturbing as the first film, it fails to convince because of the turnaround in Harry's character, and because it posits in facile fashion degrees of taking the law into one's own hands: Harry's acceptable, the gun crazy kids aren't. That said, it has some fine action sequences, and is far less objectionable than the later Sudden Impact. - 60
The New Yorker
Eastwood's gun power makes him the hero of a totally nihilistic dream world. Ted Post's direction is mediocre; the script by John Milius and Michael Cimino is cheaply effective. - 50
The New York Times
The movie is a muddle of morality.
