Cheap Sudden Impact (DVD) (Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke) (Clint Eastwood) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sudden Impact

Sudden Impact does not let down and is the best of the DIRTY HARRY sequels, partly due to its similarities to the first film. After an absense in The Enforcer, Lalo Schriffin returned to compose the memorable music and Bruce Surtees came back to do the amazing cinemaphotography. Then theres Eastwood as producer, director, and star. In Sudden Impact, he does his best portrayal as Inspector Harry Callahan, chewing up every scene he is in. This is the funniest and the most entertaining "Dirty" Harry of them all. The Callahan of the first film is a choir boy compared to this one. He's definitely not at all mellow and calm like he was in Magnum Force (1973). The script of The Enforcer began a trend in Eastwood's dialogue that was more grim-jawed than usual. In Sudden Impact, Eastwood's put-downs are hilarious.

As for the rest of the cast, Bradford Dillman returns as Captain Briggs (didn't he die in that car explosion in Magnum Force?) and Sondra Locke is the main antagonist, whom nearly half the film centers on. If the film has a flaw, it was that. However, Locke does not steal the film and sink it. Instead, the film is all Eastwood in some of his best scenes. Some of the most memorable moments of the DIRTY HARRY series are packed into this one film.

The plot concerns a rape victim (Locke) who seeks revenge against her attackers. Callahan follows the body count to a small urban town where most of the rapists reside. Once he gets there, its a no-holds-barred adventure/comedy/drama with Callahan battling what seems like the whole town, a town that could be seen as an old western town in any of Eastwood's westerns (Callahan is totally out of place and is not welcome by the local sheriff).

Sudden Impact should be seen by anyone who believes that sequels are inferior and pointless.

Disappointing sequel, but watchable for one big reason
I recently watched DIRTY HARRY and it's a masterpiece. After having seen a list of all of the other Dirty Harry flicks I decided to go with what's probably the most famous sequel, SUDDEN IMPACT.

"Nice job, meathead."

SUDDEN IMPACT is a disappointing sequel to Don Siegel's legendary film. It puts "Dirty" Harry Callahan (Eastwood) chasing after a female rape victim whom he just happens to fall in love with while, at the same time, bumping into her continuosly and never guessing she's the woman who has been murdering the people who raped her.

This film is a disgrace to the original classic. It changes Callahan's image of a justice-bringing tough guy (and hero) to a lazy, cranky old man who runs with his dog (who then urinates everywhere it goes). It's really pretty bad - even Lalo Schifrin's usually great score is forgettable. Could have been better - much better.

Unless you're a real Eastwood fan, you won't really care for SUDDEN IMPACT, which is foolish but watchable for one big reason:

To hear Eastwood say the legendary line, "Make my day."

OVERALL: *** (3) out of ***** (5) [Almost Above Average)

Nearing the End of the Callahan Trail
This is the fourth of five "Dirty Harry" films in which Eastwood stars as a San Francisco police detective. By the time the last appeared (The Dead Pool, in 1988), Eastwood had aged and times had changed but Callahan's non-negotiable values and unorthodox methods had remained essentially the same. The title of this film really makes no sense: None of the actions has a sudden impact. On the contrary, directed by Eastwood, the plot gradually develops to the inevitable climax. After still another controversial incident, Callahan is required to take an extended leave-of-absence and finds himself in a small coastal town where he meets Jennifer Spencer (Sandra Locke), a serious painter with even more serious emotional problems. Years ago, she and her sister were the victims of an especially violent rape; the sister remains comatose in an institution. Spencer is determined to locate and kill the rapists. One of them is the son of the local sheriff (Pat Hingle) who, for obvious reasons, discourages any interest in the case. He especially resents Callahan, "a big shot city detective" who attempts to investigate one of the several local murders.

Of special interest to me are two evil characters, Ray (Audrie Neenan) and Mick (Paul Drake), with whom Callahan has his final confrontation. Both are despicable and thus deserving of Callahan's singular application of justice. In this and other films, Locke's acting skills are clunky, at times almost laughable, especially when juxtaposed with the performances by Neenan and Drake. Bruce Surtees' cinematography is outstanding. His previous work includes Dirty Harry and Play Misty for Me (both in 1971) and The Outlaw Josie Wales (1976). He teamed up with Eastwood later with Pale Rider (1985). Surtees' excellent work plus several memorable scenes explain my rating which would have been higher, had the plot made more sense and had another actress (other than Ali MacGraw) portrayed Spencer. To me at least, both Callahan and the series are by now getting a tad long in the tooth.