Review of Sudden Impact (1983) by Wesley M — 31 Mar 2009

So, so very 80's.

There are things to admire here, Eastood, in his sole Dirty Harry outing as director, looks for cracks in Harry's personality. harry is directly confronted with a case that pulls him in different directions. Jennifer Spencer (Sandra Locke) is a cold-blooded killer, yet the reasoning behind her killings is completely understandable to Harry. Her need for vengance for the brutal gang-rape of her sister and herself is palpable.

So, Harry finds himself in a quandry, with speeches he would've made in earlier films being delivered to him. The scenario is ripe for delving deeper into the character of harry Callahan.

It's too bad the execution is not great. The villians, in particular, are awful, too-broad slabs of ham in a film where subtlety would've been really interesting and matched what the film seemed to be aiming for. It's a MUCH darker film than the cartoony villians seem appropriate for.

Eastwood's sure hand as a director hadn't appeard yet, or maybe he didn't have the access to the caliber of actors he would have later.