Magnum Force (1973)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Ted Post

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (characters) and
Rita M. Fink (characters) ...

Release Date:

25 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry in Magnum Force

Plot:

Dirty Harry is on the trail of vigilante cops who are not above going beyond the law to kill the city's undesirables.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Homicide | Pimp | Stakeout

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Hal Holbrook	...	Lt. Neil Briggs
Mitch Ryan	...	Officer Charlie McCoy (as Mitchell Ryan)
David Soul	...	Officer John Davis
Tim Matheson	...	Officer Phil Sweet
Kip Niven	...	Officer Red Astrachan
Robert Urich	...	Officer Mike Grimes
Felton Perry	...	Insp. Early Smith
Maurice Argent	...	Nat Weinstein
Margaret Avery	...	Prostitute
Richard Devon	...	Carmine Ricca
Tony Giorgio	...	Frank Palancio
Jack Kosslyn	...	Walter
Bob March	...	Estabrook
Bob McClurg	...	Cab Driver

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (1973) (cut) | Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (1974) (cut) | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Peru:18 | Finland:K-15 (2008) (uncut) (video rating) | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Australia:R | Canada:18A | France:-12 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

18th St. Overpass, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

Two deleted scenes help explain why Harry grows to suspect John Davis and his pals with the killings of Charlie McCoy and the mobsters. One occurs between the funeral flight for McCoy and the combat championship; after the flight Harry and Davis drive from the airport to a bowling alley for a few drinks; a black youth is suddenly chased outside and assaulted by four toughs; Davis attacks the toughs while Harry dispatches one with his beer mug. After subduing the robbers Davis harangues a group of eyewitnesses for letting such crimes take place; Harry witnesses Davis' harangue and sees in it his own approach to crime fighting, albeit far more severe. Later, after examining the bullet from Davis' gun at the combat championship range, Harry checks on old issues of a police magazine, in which are articles condemning the revolving door justice allowed by liberal politics - articles authored by the four rookie cops. These scenes were deleted presumably because they were judged to be "padding" and not necessary to establishing Harry's suspicion of the four rookie cops.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Reflected in the mirrored sunglasses.

Quotes:

Lieutenant Briggs: People are guilty until proven... I mean... God damn it, you know what I mean!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blue Steel (1989)

Harry Callahan Vs. Vigilantes

The first sequel to Don Siegel's 1971 masterpiece "Dirty Harry", "Magnum Force" of 1973 brings Inspector 'Dirty' Harry Callahan back - even though he just isn't quite as dirty in this one. Clint Eastwood is doubtlessly one of the most iconic actors ever as he personifies two archetype roles in cinema - the Spaghetti Western antihero who was defined by the role of the Man With No Name he played in Sergio Leone's Dollar trilogy, and the unorthodox copper whom he personified with his role as Harry Callahan in "Dirty Harry". When it came out in 1971, "Dirty Harry" caused outrage among critics for its political incorrectness and the violent no-nonsense attitude of its supremely bad-ass protagonist. This second film obviously tried to play these elements down a little, which wasn't the best idea in my opinion. Even so, "Magnum Force" remains a more than decent sequel which my fellow Callahan-fans can not afford to miss. Ted Post, who had already directed Eastwood in the tough-minded Western "Hang 'Em High" is doubtlessly a potent filmmaker who is capable of making a film gritty and uncompromising. And while the character of Harry Callahan is slightly more correct in "Magnum Force", the film does not scant with gritty violence as such.

Prominent members of the San Francisco underworld are getting murdered one by one. Harry Callahan, who is investigating the murders, suspects that the culprit might be police himself... Maybe because "Dirty Harry" was critizised for a violent eponymous Cop/Hero character, "Magnum Force" has Harry fight against vigilantism. Even though this step sometimes seems to have been taken in order to becalm critics of the film, it is very well executed. Clint Eastwood, simply the epitome of coolness in my opinion, is once again great in the role of Harry Callahan, the archetype of the super tough, bad-ass, no-nonsense cinematic copper. Callahan, who has an Asian, somewhat hippie-ish, girlfriend (Adele Yoshikoa) in this one, still doesn't scant with outspoken remarks about punks and superiors alike. "Magnum Force" is again great in terms of cinematography and style and delivers some sequences of quite extreme violence. This is not one of my favorites of the 'Dirty Harry' Franchise. The greatest of them all is doubtlessly Don Siegel's original masterpiece of 1971. My personal second-favorite is the fourth part, "Sudden Impact", which Eastwood directed himself, simply because its the grittiest, meanest and downright dirtiest of them all. This second film in the series isn't en par with its predecessor, but it is definitely a more than decent sequel that entertains immensely. A must-see for all Callahan-fans, and highly recommendable to everybody who likes Police Thrillers and Action films.