Rating: 
Summary: Dirty Harry Delivers
Review: There are 3 reasons why this film works: 1.Clint Eastwood 2.Anti-bueracratic message 3.Editing & Music This is a film that conveys what a lot of red-blooded Americans would like to see in our legal system. A cop who cuts through the red-tape and gets the job done regardless of buearacratic complexities that would otherwise allow, sometimes, cold-blooded killer scumbags to go free. Clint Eastwood's Harry is an anti-hero. There is effective use of S.F. locales(one of the best scenes takes place right on the field of Keezar Stadium).There is rapid fire editing and excellent cinematography that, at times, seems almost filmed in a documentary style(giving this picture more of a sense of realism such as in the contemporary COPS T.V. shows).Atmospheric music by Lalo Schifrin adds to the excitement. Followed by several sequels(Magnum Force, The Enforcer,Sudden Impact, The Dead Pool)that do not measure up as good as this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A Brilliantly Made Fascistic Movie
Review: I cannot deny the fact that I was extremely impressed with this film, due to it's gripping story, superb direction, and tightly written, often darkly humerous script. But it's message is downright repugnant. It endorses a vigiliante law system that basicially disregards basic civil liberties, and justifies police brutality, an especially ugly message in light of recent police shootings. It's quite startling seeing this soon after Eastwood's "Unforgiven" which essentially has a reversed version of this message. A superb thriller, with Eastwood creating one of the more memerable screen personas in American cinema, but like "Birth of a Nation" or a Wagner opera, this is evil art.
Rating:
Summary: Great DVD, Now Where are Episodes 2-5, Warners?
Review: Note that the actor Albert Popwell, whom Harry rehearses the "Do You Feel Lucky?" bit with, also appears in "Magnum Force" (as a pimp), "The Enforcer" (forgot who he played), and "Sudden Impact" (as Harry's pal who gives him the bulldog). I don't remember if he was in "Dead Pool" or not. What I'm really getting at is this: they need to hurry up and release the other "Dirty Harry" pictures on DVD. They deserve to be seen in their theatrical aspect ratio, especially "Magnum", "Enforcer", and "Sudden Impact" since they were shot in 235. And I can't believe they haven't put out "Sudden Impact" already! That movie was a monster back in '83. I can still remember all the a--holes in town going around saying "Make My Day." So, go ahead, Warner Brothers, release 'em out of sequence, and ask Mr. Eastwood to contribute a director's commentary to at least one of his films for DVD--perhaps the underrated "Perfect World."
Rating:
Summary: This movie makes my day
Review: Stony-faced Clint takes on a raving lunatic in this excellent police thriller. The truly deranged Scorpio killer is stalking the minority groups of San Francisco, mercilessly sniping his victims while attemping to blackmail the SFPD with threats and ransom demands. But he's no match for Harry Callahan, the city's dirtiest and most determined cop. Greatest scenes? It's difficult to pick the highlights, but no review is complete without mentioning the film's two great 'Do you feel lucky?' moments. Also wonderful are the 'Row your boat' singing scene where Scorpio terrorises the kids on the school bus, the shocking plot twist when the killer has himself beaten to a pulp, and Harry's handling of an attempted suicide attempt (I won't spoil it by telling you how he manages it!). All in all, a very good video despite very vague (though still worrying) tyrannical undertones to Harry's all-out attitude to policing.
Rating:
Summary: One hell of a performance by Eastwood, and a great action.
Review: This first installment is the best of the all for the following reasons: 1. The soundtrack is the best of the series, with exception of the end credits which in my opinion the best is Magnum Force. 2.Scorpio is by far the best bad guy. 3. It has endless amounts of black comedy, such as the scene in which Harry says he didn't beat up Scorpio, because ,"he looks to damn good". 4.The direction was top knotch, thanks to Don Siegel. 5. It has the best final climactic ending sequence, starting when Harry leaps onto the bus. 6.It makes the best use of script to heighten affect. Even better than Sudden Impact. 7.And it has the fastest (good) pacing. 8.The only thing that puts this movie under it's followers is it's lack of retrospection which will be enjoyed in Sudden Impact or The Dead Pool. Reccommended very highly by me.
Rating:
Summary: extremely well-executed filmmaking
Review: I've yet to decide whether Harry Callahan's mode of catching criminals is inherently/implicitly facistic; but perhaps it doesn't matter. Who cares? This film provides a unique insight into a very interesting character--namely, Callahan himself. Does this film advocate a no-holds-barred, screw-the-individual's-rights policy? Of course not! It just presents us with a man who, yes, takes the law into his own hands--and he is a scarred, cold individual. There are no heroes in this film, only people who act out their roles against the shifting, ambiguous backdrop that is their world. I'm getting abstract here. This is a very well-made film, certainly the best of the "Dirty Harry" series. The soundtrack, written by Lalo Schifrin, is wonderfully haunting, and Don Siegel's direction is crisp and taut. Eastwood is great as the bitter, angst-ridden cop. Well worth owning.
Rating:
Summary: Clint Eastwood at His Ruggid Best
Review: A somewhat dark movie about a San Francisco cop who has a flare for causing trouble and making his superiors feel nervous. Eastwood plays Harry Callahan with the appropriate cynicism and, as a result, the character is both honest and hilarious. The bad guy is great, too, although Eastwood's toughness cannot be upstaged. The sequence that involves Callahan's new partner asking why they call him Dirty Harry provides the most memorable dialogue in the movie. Well worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: First-rate
Review: I've seen this a million times. That's how good it is. But, by the millionth viewing some major implausibilities started to stand out! And when I saw a clip of "Unforgiven" next to a clip of "Dirty Harry" I could see how much Eastwood improved as an actor over the years. But you can only nit pick at certain things when the rest of the things are great. And most of this film is first-rate. The last adventure film this good was "The Fugitive." But I'd still rather watch "Dirty Harry" for the 1,000,0001st time, than "The Fugitive" a third time. Incidentally, John Milius wrote a version of this, and also coined the later phrase "...make my day."
Rating:
Summary: Director Don Siegel's trend setting detective story.
Review: Harry Callahan,(with all due respect,he disliked the nickname "Dirty Harry"),a real trend setting movie.You could call it the granddaddy of the modern cop movie,("Bullitt" and "The French Connection" being the other grandparents,) With movies like "Lethal Weapon", "Robocop" and "Die Hard" being inspirations or ripoffs,however you want to look at it. This was Clint Eastwood's first really big hit and made him a big box-office draw.He became the No.1 box-office attraction in the world.He held that spot several times in the 1970's and was in the top five into the late 1980's.And,near the top in the 1990's.Eastwood is one the very few actors to be a top draw for four decades,(John Wayne,Paul Newman and Sean Connery are the only others that I can think of off the top of my head). Some trivia for you,the character,Callahan was created by a woman,Rita Fink along with her husband Harry wrote the original story. They wrote the Western "Big Jake" for John Wayne the same year. Steve McQueen,John Wayne,Paul Newman and Robert Mitchum all turned the role of Callahan down.The original title was "Dead Right".Callahan originally was an older New York City detective who was about to retire. Frank Sinatra was all set to do the part,but injured his thumb,and since there was a lot of stunt work required,he had to drop out. It also had a different director then. Then the script fell into the lap of Clint Eastwood's production company.Then, Eastwood's friend and mentor,Director Don Siegel had their frequent screenwriter Dean Riesner to polish up the script to their specifications,and they went on to make what is now considered by many an American classic.The film historian for TIME magazine and the late great Gene Siskel included. The line,"This being a .44 magnum" .... "Do I feel lucky?" was written by writer and future director John Milius. He wasn't mentioned in title credits for some reason. He went on to cowrite the screenplay for "Jeremiah Johnson" in 1972,which Robert Redford has said was his personal favorite role and the Western "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" starring Paul Newman the same year.Milius also cowrote the screenplay for "Magnum Force" in 1973,"Apocalypse Now" in 1979,he wrote and directed "Conan the Barbarian" with Arnold Swarzenegger in 1982 and the screenplay for "A Clear and Present Danger" with Harrison Ford in 1994. Andy Robinson gave a very effective performance as "Scorpio".This was his movie debut making it all the more impressive.The role was based on the "Zodiac" killer who terrorized San Francisco back in the late 1960's.In fact the ransom note seen being read in the Mayor's office in the beginning of the film was an actual note written by the "Zodiac" killer.Eastwood,in a interview for PSYCHOLOGY TODAY back in 1992,seemed to feel a little guilty about making this and some of the other rather violent pictures back in the 1960's and '70's.He would later say that "Dirty Harry" and the other ones seem rather tame by today's standards. Director Don Siegel who passed away in 1991 at age 78, left a legacy of fine films among them the sci-fi classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" from 1956,the Western "Flaming Star" from 1960 starring Elvis Presley,the World War II drama "Hell is for Heroes" from 1962 starring Steve McQueen,the crime drama "The Killers" from 1964,with Lee Marvin and Ronald Reagan.And from 1968,the police drama "Madigan" starring Richard Widmark and Henry Fonda and the crime drama "Coogan's Bluff",which was the first film he made with Eastwood.They went on to make the Western "Two Mules for Sister Sara" co-starring Shirley MacLaine and the Gothic Civil War drama "The Beguiled" with Geraldine Page both in the year 1970.In 1973 he produced and directed "Charley Varrick",an overlooked and underrated crime drama with the late,great Walter Matthau and in 1976 the Western "The Shootist",John Wayne's final film which was just excellent.And in 1979,"Escape from Alcatraz" based on a true story,which would be the last time he and Eastwood would work together.May I also recommend his autobiography,"A Siegel Film" published in 1993,(two years after his death),in which he talks about all these films and much more.The book is out of print now,however it may be available from Amazon.com.They tracked down a copy for me some years back which I really appreciated. In the film "Unforgiven" which won the "Oscar" for Best Picture of 1992 with Clint Eastwood also winning for producing and directing,at the end of the story,right before the closing credits began to roll,he dedicated the film to the late Director Sergio Leone who directed those Italian spaghetti Westerns,"A Fistful of Dollars" and "The Good,The Bad and The Ugly" and to Don Siegel,a fitting tribute.
Rating:
Summary: Read this review
Review: It started with this movie, in 1971: the backlash of many against perceived societal destruction in the wake of the 1960's. Within three years Charles Bronson would, in his own words, "stroll down Columbus Avenue at 2 a.m."...and defy the underbelly of society to try to assault him. Eastwood is perfectly cast as the cop, rogue by some standards, who has only one goal: stop a madman. This he does. Forget the (classic) lines, forget the fine music and cinetamography...remember the lesson.
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