Magnum Force

Warner | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Although Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) has been known to use excessive means to stop criminals, even he has some lines that aren't crossed. He has been taken off the homicide roster and with his new partner Smith (Felton Perry), moved to stakeout service. This is not where Callahan wants to be of course, as he likes to be in the heat of things, especially when a large case is involved. At the same time, a rash of brutal murders has spread across the city streets, as known criminals are being slaughtered. This is not like crooks being shot as they try to flee, instead more like calculated, ruthless attacks and in these cases, that means fatal consequences. As he loves to see criminals get their due, you might think Callahan would approve of these attacks, but he views them as crimes in their own right, ones that should be punished. Soon enough, Callahan is doing some independent research into the cases, even though Lieutenant Briggs (Hal Holbrook) has ordered him to remain uninvolved. But of course, Callahan has no intentions of doing that and he continues, but will even he be able to handle the truth, should he uncover it?

The second film in the Dirty Harry series, Magnum Force is a violent, intense thriller and one heck of a ride, if you ask me. I've always loved this series of films and while this installment can't match the original picture, it packs one heck of a punch, to be sure. We don't see a lot of tough cop movies released these days, so it is very cool to revisit flicks like Magnum Force, where criminals are seen as such, not as victims themselves. Yes, it has moments of perhaps excessive violence and takes a harsh, gritty approach, but in cases like this, that's what is needed. I find this sequel to more sexist, sadistic, and cruel than the original and in my opinion, those are some of the reasons why Magnum Force works so well. It has some slow spots and when they happen, the gears grind to a halt, but thankfully, they're rather infrequent. I also like the premise here a lot, as Harry goes after some vigilantes, as opposed to your typical murderers, rapists, or common street hustlers. This one won't be the kind of movie to pop in on family cinema night, but if you're a fan of hard edged thrillers, then Magnum Force is a surefire choice, as a rental or purchase.

As Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood became an icon of cinema and gave us some of the most memorable lines in film history. Although his performance in the original film was his best turn of the series, his work in Magnum Force is still memorable. In this sequel, Eastwood is given an even sharper edge, so Harry seems more volatile and on the edge, which is what we want from this kind of character. But then again, we also see that there are some lines even he won't cross, which gives his character much more depth, to be sure. We also see a change in his personal life, although it does little to serve his development, I think. Other films with Eastwood as Mr. Callahan include Dirty Harry, The Dead Pool, The Enforcer, and Sudden Impact. The cast also includes Hal Holbrook (Waking the Dead, The Firm), David Soul (Salem's Lot, The Hanoi Hilton), Robert Urich (Tv's Spenser: For Hire), and Tim Matheson (Black Sheep, Drop Dead Fred).

Magnum Force is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As expected, the image looks a little worn, but is still the finest presentation of Magnum Force I've seen. This kind of movie is supposed to have some grain present, so while some sites complain about this, I commend Warner for keeping the visuals as intended. The grain is not excessive in the least, while the print looks cleaner than before, solid work indeed. The image looks sharp and pretty refined, considering this is a 1973 motion picture and all. The colors look natural, perhaps a tad muted at times, while black levels seem crisp and on the money at all times. As far as the materials go on this one, this is a superb, much improved visual presentation.

In addition to the brand new visual transfer, Magnum Force has also been given a new Dolby Digital 5.1 remix, which sounds terrific. The mix can't keep up with more modern ones of course, but ti sounds very good and thankfully, never forces the issues. The surrounds are used often and sometimes to excellent ends, but never pushed in the wrong directions or forced, so the elements sound natural, as intended. The score is spread across the channels and comes through very well, while dialogue is very, very clean and well placed also. A cut above most mono-to-5.1 remixes, I think fans will be most pleased indeed. This disc also includes a French language option, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai, which covers a whole lot of bases, without a doubt.

This disc includes some talent files, production notes, a brief promotional featurette, and the film's theatrical trailer.