Harry Callaghan vs. four Dexter Morgan's seem like THE perfect Dirty Harry film, but a couple things allow it to fall short of the original.
A Dirty Harry film without Don Siegal directing just doesn't produce that same gritty feel as the first. Magnum Force prioritizes action sequences over the more violent nature of Dirty Harry and although there that gritty 70s style film is still prominent, I would've loved to see it be done by Siegal.
This film would've been a major score if the pacing was fixed. I found myself watching scenes that may not of been needed, but then scenes that I found incredibly engaging and cool. They would've been even more so if not for the halt in pace at multiple points during the film.
Lastly concerning the negative aspects of Magnum Force, being the thematical element. Obviously the first film establishes Harry as a cop who likes to do things his own way, and occasionally breaking the rules cops must follow that let criminals get away. The original was criticized for its fascist undertones so the second focuses on an almost opposite approach: Harry kills those that are doing almost the same thing he did in the first film (although I'd argue they are crossing the line further than Harry does). Nevertheless, people like to complain about this so I'd like to address it. This could've worked better if they maybe had Harry wrestle with his previous moral code a bit more. That's all I can think of how they could've improved upon that common critique. However this aspect wasn't a huge concern for me during the viewing.
On to the positive aspects. This movie, although not Don Siegal, does have its own fun flair to it. We still have Clint Eastwood, perfect as ever, and overall this film is a fun watch, just maybe a little long. Point is I had a pretty fun time watching. I could never get bored of Eastwood on screen, especially in the role of Harry.
Harry Callaghan vs. four Dexter Morgan's seem like THE perfect Dirty Harry film, but a couple things allow it to fall short of the original.
A Dirty Harry film without Don Siegal directing just doesn't produce that same gritty feel as the first. Magnum Force prioritizes action sequences over the more violent nature of Dirty Harry and although there that gritty 70s style film is still prominent, I would've loved to see it be done by Siegal.
This film would've been a major score if the pacing was fixed. I found myself watching scenes that may not of been needed, but then scenes that I found incredibly engaging and cool. They would've been even more so if not for the halt in pace at multiple points during the film.
Lastly concerning the negative aspects of Magnum Force, being the thematical element. Obviously the first film establishes Harry as a cop who likes to do things his own way, and occasionally breaking the rules cops must follow that let criminals get away. The original was criticized for its fascist undertones so the second focuses on an almost opposite approach: Harry kills those that are doing almost the same thing he did in the first film (although I'd argue they are crossing the line further than Harry does). Nevertheless, people like to complain about this so I'd like to address it. This could've worked better if they maybe had Harry wrestle with his previous moral code a bit more. That's all I can think of how they could've improved upon that common critique. However this aspect wasn't a huge concern for me during the viewing.
On to the positive aspects. This movie, although not Don Siegal, does have its own fun flair to it. We still have Clint Eastwood, perfect as ever, and overall this film is a fun watch, just maybe a little long. Point is I had a pretty fun time watching. I could never get bored of Eastwood on screen, especially in the role of Harry.
