Review by Steve Rhodes
3 stars out of 4
"Somebody's trying to put the courts out of business," warns one of Dirty
Harry's superiors in MAGNUM FORCE. There are rogue cops, played by David
Soul, Tim Matheson, Kip Niven and Robert Urich, operating a death squad
within the San Francisco police department. This group aims to operate as
judge, jury and executioner. The task of stopping them falls to the
unlikely candidate of Harry Callahan, an officer who prides himself on
taking out criminals with a flagrant disregard for due process.
"A man's got to know his limitations," Harry reflects more than once. But
Harry doesn't have a lot of limitations, possessing an action hero's ability
to fight overwhelming odds and win. Unlike James Bond, with whom he shares
many traits, Harry doesn't generally have time for women. In this, the
second of the five Dirty Harry movies, an attractive neighbor comes knocking
at Harry's door offering sex. Well, Harry may not go out of his way looking
for female companionship, but he sure won't turn it down when it comes so
nicely gift wrapped and hand delivered.
One of the first crimes that Harry foils in MAGNUM FORCE is an aircraft
hijacking. With bravado and resourcefulness to spare, Harry would make a
great trainer for today's new crew of sky marshals. Never one to hold back,
Harry is happy to blast away in hostage situations, which always surprises
the criminals. The taciturn Harry doesn't do negotiations. His motto might
be summarized as: Shot first. Ask questions never. And your motto could
be: Rent (or buy) this DVD. It's got Dirty Harry in it. You don't need to
ask any questions.
MAGNUM FORCE runs 2:04. It is rated R for violence, nudity and some
language and would be acceptable for teenagers.
My son Jeffrey, age 12, gave it ***, saying that he liked it a little bit
more than the first one.
The movie is available on DVD and video tape.
Copyright © 2001 Steve Rhodes
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