I have seen bits and pieces of this over the years but never the whole thing. It was interesting to see this film after having seen Gran Turino. It was everything that I expected it to be - a tough-guy cop that takes on the world of crime. While it was the film that really spawned that genre I still think that it is better than the vast, vast majority of the movies that came after it.

One of the defining film of the 1970s.

great film. i mean clint eastwood thats all u need to say

Clint in the first film of his star role

Not the Hairy Dirty movie I was looking for

Still one of the best. Andy Robinson is the ultimate creep.

Clint in the first movie of his starring role.

There's a reason they kept making these movies. It's this one. This actually defined action movies for years: a singular rogue cop with an affinity for losing partners, recent widower, prone to expressing himself in one liners and extreme violence with an overpowered weapon...it all started here. And his captain isn't a fan! Sometimes overlooked is the great work by Andrew Robinson as the Scorpio Killer here. By far, the most interesting of the Dirty Harry villains is on full display here.

Dirty Harry is a violent crime thriller that allows Clint Eastwood to do what he does best. He is a tough, no nonsense cop who takes no crap from anyone. It has a really dark and creepy feel to the movie which Don Siegel directs perfectly. He manages to create so much tension scene by scene. The initial investigation does get off to a slow start as we see Harry deal with a jumper. I am not too sure on the purpose of that scene was. But we do get to see the famous "Do you feel lucky?" scene that just elevates Eastwoods character to a whole new level. That is the scene that made go, Dirty Harry is one badass guy. While he first appears to be a rule breaker, he does in fact do things by the book for the most part. It is not until the justice system fails, he takes matters into his own hands. It is a great film and Clint Eastwood is Dirty Harry. No one else could play this role like he does.

8/10

Harsh and unforgiving - not just Harry but the film-making.

That 70s slowness that grates to a modern eye now. But it's a solid plot with little fat on the plot. Scenes in the dark were almost invisible on my TV but I blame HBO and their streaming!

Eastwood does best when he says little. And to give him two shots at his famous catchphrase set up a sequel right there and then...

(it has a passing comparison to the Zodiac killer in that there are letters used and a scene with some schoolchildren. But it's a lazy usage purely designed to take advantage of the news of the time)


7.5/10

Surprisingly straightforward story-wise, but very enjoyable all the same.

'Dirty Harry' is no doubt stylish, features an eye-catching plot and has a very good lead performance from Clint Eastwood; he really does own the role. With that noted, I was surprised at how simply the story unfolds. That's not necessarily a criticism, I just presumed it would've been more than just 'event one, event two, event three etc. ... the end'. I enjoyed it, which is all that truly matters.

It's, for me, an entertaining, solid film. I have no real issues with it.