Produced, directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood, Sudden Impact is the fourth entry in the Dirty Harrymovie series, following on from Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, and The Enforcer. The film is an action thriller, with a cast that includes Sondra Locke and Pat Hingle, and this time around sees Inspector Harry Callahan on the hunt for a serial killer.
In the movie, Callahan’s superiors – including Captain Briggs – have become increasingly frustrated by his methods. Sure, he gets results, but Callahan has a way of rubbing everyone up the wrong way, and some of his cases are getting quashed when they go to court due to his unorthodox arrests.
Aware they can’t just fire him, Briggs and the Commissioner suggest Callahan take a few days off while the heat dies down on his latest case. Callahan dismisses the idea, but after multiple attacks on his life, as well as further insistence from above, Callahan relents and leaves the city of San Francisco under the guise of doing some police work in San Paulo.
After arriving in his new home for the next few days, it’s not long before Callahan gets involved in an arrest and ruffles a few feathers with the local police chief. He also bumps into a local artist called Jennifer Spencer, who is a beautiful woman with a secret.
Unbeknown to Callahan, Spencer is a lady with revenge on her mind. A decade ago, Spencer and her sister were sexually assaulted by a group of misfits, and with her sister now in a vegetative state, Spencer is picking off members of the group.
With a trail of bodies stacking up, Callahan soon becomes involved in what appears to be a serial killing. But will he make the connection to Spencer?
After the fairly simple (and very lightweight) story that was offered up in The Enforcer, the Dirty Harryseries leans back into much darker, much more impactful territory with this fourth instalment. There is the sense the series is returning to its edgier roots with Sudden Impact, with a narrative that includes gang rape and murderous revenge.
Sudden Impact opens with a murder in a car, continues with scenes of assault, and pushes forward as Jennifer Spencer enacts her own style of payback by blowing the d*cks off those who wronged her. Her methods are swift and to the point, all carried out with steely determination, and they shape what is at times a mostly serious picture.
However, while there is a hard, adult tone presented in Sudden Impact, the film doesn’t ditch some of its playfulness completely. To balance out the brutal edge of the picture, there is the occasional dash of humour, including the introduction of yet another new partner for Callahan (a bulldog with flatulence), as well as a bit of fun from some comical dialogue.
Sudden Impact also finds room for some of Callahan’s usual antics (his signature arrests), as well as the iconic line: “Go ahead, make my day.” The line is often attributed to Dirty Harry, but nope, it wasn’t uttered in the series until Sudden Impact, and it’s moments like this which help to push the film beyond what The Enforcer offered up.
In addition to the above, Clint Eastwood continues to remain on fine form as Callahan, maintaining the grit from the previous films, while Sondra Locke is excellent as Spencer. Locke delivers a nuanced performance, which brings Spencer’s pain and torture to the forefront of the story, and it is very much the heart and soul of the film.
Locke never overshadows Eastwood, but she delivers a character who can certainly keep up with him. It’s an impassioned turn and one which demonstrates her commitment to the role, in a movie that gives her plenty of room to breathe.
In addition to the Eastwood/Locke pairing, Sudden Impact also provides a fourth and final role for Albert Popwell, who appears in the small part of Callahan’s friend, Horace King. Popwell appears in all but one entry in the Dirty Harry series, playing a different bit-part character in each movie, and it’s good to see him back once again and given something a fraction more substantial to do for his swan song in the series.
Chuck in an ever dependable turn from Pat Hingle as the San Paulo police chief, and Sudden Impact is an engaging picture. Sure, it’s not the series at its best, but it certainly works well and stops the Dirty Harry movies from heading into a downward trajectory.
While not as strong as Dirty Harry or Magnum Force, Sudden Impact pushes the series back toward the heights of the early days and it does so with conviction. The film offers smart direction from Eastwood, a strong, weighty story by Earl E. Smith and Charles B. Pierce, and a solid screenplay by Joseph Stinson.
Those who have followed the series from the start will like what’s on offer, while those who dip in and out will get something to sink their teeth into. Sudden Impact is a solid entry for the Dirty Harry series, and one which doesn’t drop the ball.
Should you wish to watch Sudden Impact, the movie is available on digital download from all the major entertainment platforms. The film is also available as part of the Dirty Harry Blu-ray boxset, which is available through Amazon US and Amazon UK.
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
Disclaimer: I earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment