Magnum Force, a review by Jon
Magnum Force3 out of 5
Underworld figures are being murdered all over San Francisco. One by one, criminals who have eluded prosecution are getting the justice they deserve, justice you'd think Detective Harry Callahan might approve of with a tight-lipped smile. But if you think so, you've misjudged Harry - and so have the killers. Written by future directors John Milius and Michael Cimino, this 'Dirty Harry' sequel stars Clint Eastwood in his signature role of Callahan, here facing an unexpected kind of lawbreaker: one who carries a badge. Sharp shooting rookie motorcycle policemen have turned vigilante. Their real enemy is the system. But the system is what Harry is sworn to protect. And he does - with 'Magnum Force'.Magnum Force is an oddity, yet may be as responsible for the modern action movie as much as its illustrious predecessor. For one thing, Harry isn't quite so Dirty in this. The first film would have created some controversy over the blunt tactics of its anti-hero, so the plot of this one sets out to redraw the line between the no nonsense detective on the side of the law and an all out vigilante with no morals. The screenplay is almost at pains to point this out. Eastwood isn't as angry and this is a problem because now he's just doing his job, rather than instilling indignant rage in the viewer. Still his delivery is fantastic and the character at least still has his edge.
This isn't helped by the gang he's out to stop. Although their methods are obviously too brutal, their dispatching of various high-profile criminal figures means we're left wondering just who we should sympathise with. As if trying to account for the shortfall, the sequels action has a sillier edge to it and so it is great fun without asking anything of the audience except to come along for the ride! Dirty Harry still had a whiff of realism, but here we have what would become the staple of Lethal Weapon, etc: car chases, assassination attempts with bombs, police operations staged without a shred of paperwork, daft stunts, especially on bikes in the finale. All of which should cause us to question its logic, yet we don't. We just cheer instead.
Therefore is this the first throwaway action movie, perfect for a Friday night with a pizza? We still have the iconic hero, the brilliant dialogue (when his boss claims he's never drawn his weapon, Harry answers, "well you're a good man, Briggs. A good man knows his limitations."
), but now without a real reason to exist, so in way of a plot, we get set-pieces.
So thank you, Magnum Force. You live forever in shadow of the far superior Dirty Harry, but maybe you showed the way for Shane Black. We should all be thankful.
(From Dirty Harry Marathon on February 16th, 2010)
Users: 0
May 17, 2024, 11:20:33 PM
