05/04/06 The Enforcer

The Enforcer (1976), directed by James Fargo

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD (borrowed from parents) @ home

Coming third in the Dirty Harry series of films, this installment of the renegade cop with an axe to grind with bad guys is well...dull. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Clint Eastwood (and please don't tell him I didn't like this one, or he will beat me up...and he's like 80 now). It's just that compared to the first two capers, this one seems like it's reaching a bit too much. I know it's what a lot of today's style of shoot-em-up, blow up a couple city blocks type of action flick is based on, but the plotline here is trite. Harry must take on a new partner after his 3rd co-worker is gunned down in the line of fire (kind of like Spinal Tap drummers huh?), and guess what...she's a woman! That won't sit too well with old-school Harry Callahan. Begrudgingly he takes that assignment, but his goal is to bring down the local terrorist organization that is trying to take out the mayor of San Francisco. These extremist political terrorists are named the People's Revolutionary Strike Force (based on the real life Symbionese Liberation Army known for the kidnapping of Patty Hearst), and the group that ends up taking the heat for their bad rap is the local chapter of African-American activists Uhuru (similar to the Black Panther party). Harry goes through the town wreaking havoc, kicking ass and taking names. He's got the biggest gun, so guess who's going to win?! Anyway, the story's dumb and just trying desperately to pull from the newspaper headlines...but Eastwood is good as ever. It's got a fun 70's funky cop movie soundtrack, so that's good at least...and there's some climactic scenes in the old Alcatraz prison.

2 out of 5 stars