Quote from: KiramidHead on Dec 22, 2020, 11:06:04 PMThere's just something incredibly compelling about the lengths Bale and Jackman go to to outdo each other. And the movie itself is goddamn insane with some of the directions it takes.
I mostly remember it for not even realising David Bowie was in it until after I'd finished watching it. He was so good as Tesla.
Been working my way through a DVD box set over the last week and a bit.
Dirty HarryAs much as I enjoy all five of these, there's no denying the original is comfortably the best of the series, thanks in no small measure to the villain Scorpio, who's played brilliantly by Andy Robinson. He's not just the best Dirty Harry baddie, he's one of the best movie psychos I've ever come across. I especially like how, whenever the chips are down, he instantly switches from cold-blooded killer to snivelling little bitch, and you totally buy it either way. Also, the scene where Harry genuinely tortures him for the location of the girl he's kidnapped is still pretty shocking.
Partner casualty count: One hospitalised, plus dialogue mentions one killed and another hospitalised before the events of the movie.
Magnum ForceWell, it didn't take long for this franchise to become completely self-aware. (Actually, you could argue it happened even before the end of the first film, when Scorpio's going down the freeway in the school bus he's just hijacked and he sees Harry standing on a bridge in the distance, waiting for him like some avenging angel.) Overall this one feels a bit too long, but it's still a solid entry. The bit at the end where Harry mows a motorcyclist down with his car is a highlight.
Partner casualty count: One dead - mailbomb to the face.
The EnforcerProbably the funniest of the series, with Harry at his most devastatingly scathing. It certainly tries to up the ante from the previous two, with the bad guys now packing assault rifles and rocket launchers, but really the scenes with Harry and his new female sidekick are it's strongest asset.
Partner casualty count (in what is comfortably the bloodiest of the series in this regard): Two dead - one stabbed, one shot.
Sudden ImpactI always remembered not liking this one much, but seeing it again I think there's a case for it being the best of the sequels. It definitely has the most interesting plot, and Mitch is the most hateable unhinged villain the series has had since Scorpio. Add to which Harry actually lets the murderer go because he comes to understand their killing spree, which I'd totally forgotten about. Also, I especially like the bit where Harry walks into his hotel room to find his buddy has had his throat slit, but he doesn't get
really angry until he sees the bad guys have superficially hurt his dog too. That's some John Wick-level shit.
Oh yeah, and it'd be remiss of me not to mention how Harry trades in his trusty .44 revolver for a f**king CHROME .44 SEMI-AUTO HAND CANNON.
Partner casualty count: Harry doesn't actually have one, so to make up for it his cop buddy gets tortured and killed.
The Dead PoolI only just noticed how it took them four sequels to finally give one a title that bears some actual relevance to the plot
This one's frequently daft (that car chase lol) but it might actually be the sequel I enjoy the most. It's just so much fun. Jim Carry isn't in it for very long, but while he is he's a riot. Also contains probably the best one-liner of the whole series: "f**k with me, buddy, and I'll kick your ass so hard you'll have to unbutton your collar to shit."
Partner casualty count: One hospitalised.
Conclusion: Five entertaining films, and don't be Harry Callahan's partner.
