Magnum Force Movie Review

Magnum Force (1973)

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Written by: Harry Julian Fink and Rita M. Fink (original material), John Milius and Michael Cimino (screenplay), John Milius (story) 
Directed by: Ted Post
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, Mitchell Ryan
Rated: R
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Plot
Dirty Harry tracks down vigilante cops.

Verdict
Action movies have improved since '73. The first half of this is tame, before the action picks up in the last half. Prime Clint Eastwood is fun to watch, but it's hard not to wish he was in a modern action movie with shootouts that don't feel so staged. The underlying question of how far is too far is interesting, bolstered by a straight forward story.
It depends.

Review
It's difficult not to like Eastwood and the Dirty Harry franchise. Harry is the wisecracking, no-nonsense, expert marksman cop who gets results. Of course his boss thinks he's a loose cannon and wants him restrained. This concept may have been more original in '74, but watching it now it's just a trope.

This is prime Eastwood as the hard nosed cop spouting one liners. "Man's got to know his limitations." is his refrain in this movie. Harry's unorthodox methods contrast with the vigilantes in this, cops or people posing as cops killing criminals. It's a step past Harry, but Harry can't accept breaking the law even if one could justify it. Harry is contrasted against his lieutenant who claims never to have even drawn his gun in the line of duty.

Classic action movie, classic Clint.

While there's a lot of gun play, the first half of this movie is mostly set up. The editing is particularly atrocious because the movie cuts away from the action often. I don't know if it's a budget limitation or just trying to avoid some gore. For a movie that wants you to focus on the action, the action is lackluster. The movie doesn't even have a score, just to drive home the hard nosed action theme. A man doesn't have time for music.

The last quarter of the movie picks up the pace. While a modern movie would have less setup, this isn't bad. It just makes the movie feel slow if you're used to newer films. The action is subdued and the shootouts look staged and fake.

The quick cutaways strip many sequences during the ending of any impact. I wished for full sequences of motorcycle jumps. Instead we see the start of a take off and then the bike landing. You almost don't know what happens. It gives you just enough to piece it together. This doesn't need all the flash of modern movies, but just a bit would help.