In The Enforcer, after he is reprimanded for using excessive force, Inspector Harry Callahan is moved from homicide to the personnel department. Here he meets fresh-faced desk officer, Kate Moore, who has no field experience but who is looking to move up the ranks.
While Harry is busy in his new role, his former partner is injured (and later dies), while trying to stop a group of thieves from stealing a large collection of weapons, including military grade rocket launchers. The group call themselves the People’s Revolutionary Strike Force and they plan to use the weapons to terrorise the city of San Francisco, unless they are paid $1 million.
In order to stop the group from carrying out their plans, Callahan is put back on homicide. But now he is teamed up with a new partner in the shape of recently appointed inspector, Kate Moore, who he believes may be more of a hinderance than a help.
Directed by James Fargo, The Enforcer stars Clint Eastwood, Tyne Daly, Harry Guardino, and John Mitchum. Originally released in 1976, The Enforcer is the third instalment in the Dirty Harry series, following Dirty Harry and Magnum Force.
Similar to its predecessors, The Enforcer sees Callahan tackling crime in a brutal city, where death and violence is the order of the day. The film includes scenes of criminals being blown away by Callahan’s trusty handgun, and those who have followed the series up until this point will find themselves on fairly familiar ground.
However, unlike the two previous movies, The Enforcer is a bit more playful, with a touch more emphasis on injecting a dash of humour. The movie also finds time to provide character development for Callahan’s new partner – something the other Dirty Harry movies largely overlooked.
Tyne Daly’s Kate Moore is a more fleshed out, fully rounded officer, and a good foil for the world-weary Callahan. She’s easily the most three dimensional partner Callahan is given across the entire movie series, and Daly is great in the role.
With the inclusion of Daly, and a lighter touch, there’s a definite sense The Enforcer is a slightly different beast to what has come before. The film still offers up plenty of action and detective work, but this time around things feel a tad brighter, and when it comes to the running time it is certainly more streamlined.
The Enforcer isn’t the shortest Dirty Harry movie – that particular accolade goes to The Dead Pool (entry number five) – but it comes close. The movie clocks in at around 96 minutes and it doesn’t spend a great deal of time on anything too superfluous to the story.
However, it’s also fair to say there isn’t a great deal of story this time around. The Enforcer has a serviceable script, and everything plays out fine, but there’s not much depth.
The villains of this movie are also paper thin and barely register. They do what they need to, but they make no real impact.
Not amazing, but not bad. The Enforcer has its moments, but some of the spark is missing in the writing department.
Highlights of The Enforcer include a holdup at a liquor store, and Callahan infiltrating a (sort of) brothel looking for information. The final act is good too, with the action relocated off the mainland and onto Alcatraz island.
So, while not the best entry in the Dirty Harry movie collection, The Enforcer is still entertaining stuff. Eastwood remains the key selling point, while Daly provides solid support.
Should you wish to watch The Enforcer, the movie is currently available on digital platforms. The Enforcer is also included in the Dirty Harry Blu-ray boxset which is available from entertainment retailers, including Amazon US and Amazon UK.
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