Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
"Dirty" Harry Callahan is a San Francisco Police Inspector on the trail of a group of rogue cops who have taken justice into their own hands. When shady characters are murdered one after another in grisly fashion, only Dirty Harry can stop them.
Magnum Force is a solid but somewhat formulaic sequel that inverts the original's vigilante premise — this time Dirty Harry hunts rogue cops rather than criminals — which gives it a clever thematic twist but not enough to distinguish it strongly. The plot is competent and engaging but predictable, with the killer cops' identities telegraphed early. Eastwood is reliably commanding but the supporting cast is uneven. San Francisco is used effectively but without the visual flair of the original. As a sequel it recycles much of the formula while adding the corruption angle, keeping Novelty modest. The ending is functional but underwhelming compared to the iconic conclusion of the first film.