Rent Magnum Force (1973)
3.6 of 5 from 128 ratings
1h 58min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Underworld figures are being murdered all over San Francisco. One by one, criminals who have eluded prosecution are getting the justice they deserve, justice you'd think Detective Harry Callahan might approve of with a tight-lipped smile. But if you think so, you've misjudged Harry - and so have the killers. Written by future directors John Milius and Michael Cimino, this Dirty Harry sequel stars Clint Eastwood in his signature role of Callahan, here facing an unexpected kind of lawbreaker: one who carries a badge. Sharp shooting rookie motorcycle policeman have turned vigilante. Their real enemy is the system. But the system is what Harry is sworn to protect. And he does - with Magnum Force. - Actors:
- Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan, David Soul, Tim Matheson, Kip Niven, Robert Urich, Felton Perry, Maurice Argent, Margaret Avery, Richard Devon, Tony Giorgio, Jack Kosslyn, Bob March, Bob McClurg, John Mitchum, Russ Moro, Clifford A. Pellow, Albert Popwell, Christine White
- Directors:
- Ted Post
- Producers:
- Robert Daley
- Writers:
- Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink
- Studio:
- Warner
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics
- Collections:
- A Brief History of Films About American Football, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Clint Eastwood, A Brief History of Film...
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 09/06/2008
- Run Time:
- 124 minutes
- Languages:
- Brazilian Portuguese Dolby Digital 1.0, Castilian Spanish Dolby Digital 1.0, English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, French Dolby Digital 1.0, German Dolby Digital 1.0, Japanese Dolby Digital 1.0, Portuguese, Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0
- Subtitles:
- Brazilian, Castillian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- Bonus:
- Commentary By Screenwriter John Milius
- New Featurette A Moral Right: The Politics Of Dirty Harry
- Vintage Featurette The Hero Cop: Yesterday And Today
- Dirty Harry Movies Trailer Gallery
More like Magnum Force
Found in these customers lists
Reviews (2) of Magnum Force
Has stood the test of time well - great stuff! - Magnum Force review by RP
The second of the 'Dirty Harry' series, this one has Harry/Clint on the trail of vigilante cops who are bumping off a series of local baddies without due process.
In its day, 'Dirty Harry' came under criticism for glorifying vigilantism and being fascistic. Here, Harry states very clearly that he has been misjudged and that, despite his reputation for a somewhat over-direct approach, he is firmly on the side of the system.
Clint Eastwood is one of my favourite actors and this is yet another excellent film. Yes, it's a little dated by today's standards but I think it has stood the test of time well.
4/5 stars - great stuff!
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Police Neo-Noir. - Magnum Force review by Steve
This sequel to Dirty Harry is usually considered inferior. There is a less auspicious director, with Don Siegel replaced by Ted Post who came from tv. But I prefer Magnum Force, mainly for the interesting premise; if the public is going to cheer for the pragmatic, instant justice of Harry's 44. Magnum, how far are they willing to go?
A death squad of San Francisco motorcycle cops is executing the Mafia bosses that liberal law and order is unable to touch, because of course, the law is there to protect the crooks. Harry Callahan is their hero, but for the sequel, he has changed. The bigoted Harry is buddied up with an African-American sidekick. The lone gun has a Japanese girlfriend. And the reactionary iconoclast is now defending the system.
Magnum Force has plenty of what gave Dirty Harry its salacious clout. There's the scuzzy funk-noir of Lalo Schifrin's theme music; the squalid nocturnal, neon lit setting of urban and moral decay; and Eastwood, without ever threatening to actually put in a performance is charismatic enough; like the Man With No Name has slept through basic training and now has a license to kill.
It's a tight, exciting film in spite of the 120m+ running time. The main deficit is that in the attempt to exploit the violent, squalid realities of the naked city, it tips over into voyeuristic sadism. The shapeshifting of Harry into a babe-magnet who doesn''t have to try too hard also says more about Eastwood's box office appeal of the time. But that's the early seventies, and it's actually that period aesthetic which is a major part of Magnum Force's enduring attraction.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.