If you haven't seen the original Dirty Harry from 1971 in awhile, you are really missing an action classic that packs a Magnum size punch.
Eastwood had carved out major success in Westerns, but this was his first mainstream cop to hit the screen and it made him a superstar.
Harry Callahan is a no-nonsense homicide detective who sets his own rules in San Francisco.
After a serial killer named Scorpio begins picking off people with a sniper rifle, Harry begins to track him down.
There are some fascinating moments in this well directed film by Don Siegel (Escape from Alcatraz, Invasion of the Body Snatchers) in which you realize the lines between Harry and the killer are blurred and both have become the voyeur and the predator.
But first and foremost this is one of the best action films of the seventies and the stakeout of the church, pursuit in the stadium and conclusion on the school bus all rank as some of the decades best crafted action sequences.
Andy Robinson is twisted and scary as Scorpio, John Vernon is perfect as The Mayor and above all, Eastwood is at his best as Harry. He is in full star mode here, spouting classic lines like " Do you feel lucky, well do ya punk!".
Dirty Harry spawned four sequels and inspired hundreds of action films in the decades ahead, but its rarely been equaled.
Lalo Schifrin's music score is excellent and in the new 7.1 Dolby Blu-Ray, rocks just as much as those deafening 357 Magnum shots!
A full tilt, controversial, violent, action-filled blast of an A.
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