It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Clint Eastwood returns as Inspector Harry Callahan for the fourth time in Sudden Impact. You know what to expect when you see Harry Callahan return. It's no surprise that he does what he does best, dishing out his own unorthodox brand of justice with his Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum. Regardless, it's always great to see Clint Eastwood light up the screen as Harry Callahan and the series has always been a pleasure to watch. The Dirty Harry series has a reputation for being violent, but Sudden Impact is noticeably darker than the previous movies with some unsettling moments.SFPD Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) yet again finds himself in hot water with his superiors, judges, the media and the mayor for breaking rules and police procedures which sees various criminals walk free from court, a crime boss suffering a heart attack, and it's also no surprise that Inspector Callahan finds himself to be a target for retribution. His superiors including Captain Briggs (Bradford Dillman who appeared as Captain McKay in The Enforcer) and Lieutenant Donnelly (Michael Currie) decide that enough is enough and assign Callahan to a sleepy coastal town named San Paulo to follow up on a homicide investigation in which a man is found shot in the groin and head in his own car. San Paolo Police Chief Lester Jannings (Pat Hingle) is far from impressed having Callahan in his town, seeing him as nothing more than a big city hotshot who has no place in his town. When further killings occur, it is revealed that the person responsible for the deaths is Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke). Spencer is seeking revenge against the rapists responsible for the rape of her and her sister years ago which left her sister in a vegetative state. The rapists which include Mick (Paul Drake) and Ray Parkins (Audrie J. Neenan) find out that they are being targeted for the rape that occurred years ago and seek to track down the secret vigilante before they are next. Callahan must also find the link as to who is behind the killings and why they are occurring.It's always a pleasure to see Clint Eastwood return as his iconic character "Dirty" Harry Callahan, who although may be older but stands firm with his unorthodox ways of dealing with criminals his way. Clint Eastwood also sits in the director's chair for the only time in the Dirty Harry series. Sondra Locke (who was CLint Eastwood's partner at the time) does well as the embittered rape victim Jennifer Spencer who has vowed revenge against her rapists. We also see the return of Bradford Dillman (albeit a different character) and Albert Popwell returns for the fourth time in the Dirty Harry series as Callahan's friend Horace King. This time, Popwell plays a good guy after playing the ill fated bank robber in Dirty Harry (1971), a pimp in Magnum Force (1973), and a revolutionary leader in The Enforcer (1976).Sudden Impact also introduces the now iconic line "Go ahead, make my day". This occurred in a stand off between Callahan and a robber, daring him to shoot his hostage. The catchphrase meant that if the hostage died, the robber would be next as Callahan would be more than happy to take him down.Sudden Impact is a welcome addition to the Dirty Harry series, and well worth watching Clint Eastwood return as his iconic character.7/10.

RELEASED IN 1983 and directed by Clint Eastwood, "Sudden Impact" stars Clint Eastwood as a no-nonsense San Francisco detective, who is assigned a murder case that leads him to a coastal town an hour or two south of the Bay area. Sondra Locke plays a troubled woman from the town while Pat Hingle is on hand as the tight-wound sheriff. Bradford Dillman returns as Capt. Briggs.I'm a fan of all five of the Dirty Harry films, which are as follows: "Dirty Harry" (1971), "Magnum Force" (1973), "The Enforcer" (1976), "Sudden Impact" (1983) and "The Dead Pool" (1988)."Magnum Force" is my favorite, a rare case where the sequel is superior to the original, while the first film is my least preferred, although I still like it. I just think the stories in the four sequels have more story drive and better characters. "Dirty Harry" seems languid and hollow by comparison, but it gets points for being the original film and establishing the series."Sudden Impact" is the only film in the series directed by the star and the second longest; it's probably my second favorite, although it's pretty much on par with "The Enforcer" and "The Dead Pool." Like the first two films, the topic is vigilante justice: If the Law can't or won't bring about justice, it compels the victimized citizen to seek it more directly.Locke tends to get flack for a relatively short film career rooted in her relationship with Eastwood. But (1.) This film proves she had the acting chops in that she plays the haunted artist superbly, and (2.) I've seen her in SEVEN MOVIES and two of them WEREN'T Eastwood films, "Willard" (1971) and "The Prophet's Game" (2000). Name the most popular actress of practically any decade and I guarantee you I've seen her in less films. In other words: Say what you will, but Sondra made her mark in cinema. Those who badmouth her are simply envious."Sudden Impact" is memorable for its dirtbag handful of antagonists with the loathsome Audrie Neenan and psychotic Paul Drake standing out. I like the climax at the nighttime carnival, although parts of it are too contrived (yeah, like the other installments weren't). The final doom of Mick (Drake) explains the movie's title.THE FILM RUNS 117 minutes and was shot in Santa Cruz & San Francisco, California. THE SCRIPT was written by Joseph Stinson from the story by Earl E. Smith & Charles B. Pierce.GRADE: B+

The Dirty Harry series will always have a special place in my heart – just because it's so darned cool. Clint Eastwood lives and breathes the role of the unorthodox cop, and by the time of this third sequel – the fourth and penultimate movie in the long-running franchise – he shows no signs of flagging or losing enthusiasm for his subject matter, directing as well as starring as the tough cop.This has got to be the most entertaining Dirty Harry since the first movie. The series makes a fine segue from late '70s grittiness to early '80s flashiness, retaining the same hard edge that made the early films so successful. Here, Harry is once again arguing with his superiors, who this time send him on an enforced holiday to a little town where he begins to track down a serial killer. Along with that, the usual hoodlums and gangsters are gunning for our hero, leading to a literally action-packed movie in which we watch Harry chase a thug through the streets in an old people's bus (a highlight), have shoot-outs with his trusty sidepiece, and even deliver another famous line – this time, it's the "make my day" one.The main thrust of the story is about Eastwood's one time partner, Sondra Locke, as we follow her delivering her own brand of justice against a gang of men who once gang-raped her and her sister. It's a violent chronicle, exposing the psychology of such a crime, and it works, providing a fitting parallel to Harry's own character. The cast are at the top of their game here, with nobody putting a foot wrong, from the icy, slightly alien Locke, to Paul Drake as a truly loathsome baddie. There are also a ton of great character actors filling out supporting roles, like Bradford Dillman, Pat Hingle, and in particular Albert Popwell, who is fine as Harry's partner. Add in some great laughs in the form of a bad-mannered dog and you have a great film that just gets better as time goes by.

Sudden Impact (1983) - Inspector Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood meets Death Wish! That sounds amazing which it is. The only Dirty Harry directed by Clint Eastwood himself, whiteout a question among, the finest pictures of the 80's, if is not for the best Magnum Force, one of my favorite Dirty Harry movies in the franchise ever!!! It is one of my personal favorite action movies of all time. The fourth installment of Dirty Harry series is one of the most astonish best and greatest Eastwood's masterpiece! I don't care what anyone say's I love this movie to death. It has the greatest and the most finest action in the 80's from Clint Eastwood. This movie is even miles way better than The Enforcer! This movie is a bad ass! Harry's line "Go ahead, make my day" is one of the most memorable praise since Dirty Harry (1971). A long to discover that Dirty Harry is Batman! Why can't they make bad ass action movies like this one is? I will always watch this action flick from Clint Eastwood. This movie is what it is, a perfect 10, because it takes the vision of one of the most imaginative directors on Earth, and realizes them almost perfectly with all the tools that fit the task -- actors, stunts and a lot action sequences in here with a great story.The Death Wish chapter of the Dirty Harry saga and another high point in the action genre containing an amount of masculine bad ass to make anyone grow their chest hair. Also the 475 Magnum montage had me in stitches. Sudden Impact allowed Harry to interact with someone who shares his mindset of justice. Definitely the darkest of the Dirty Harry movies. In my opinion the best in the series. The rapist got raped by a .44 Auto Mag, and then by a unicorn horn. I saw that one coming in the chase scene at the carousel. Clint Eastwood was Batman back when Batman was sipping' martinis and dancing in Studio 54. The film is absolutely filled with great, classic moments (I counted TEN all-star ones during my last viewing), and they're evenly spaced through the movie. Great acting and a plot worthy of the title character. Great cinematography. What else can I say buy it you will not be disappointed. This has to be one of Eastwood's best movie. Okay they are all good, but this one will make your day!The Dirty Harry films were in hiatus for 7.years, since no one wanted to make a Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood made a fourth installment with a bad ass action film ever! Inspector "Dirty Harry" Callahan (Clint Eastwood) carries his Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum as his sidearm in the film. He is first seen pulling it in the coffee shop and saying what is one of the most famous movie lines in history. The S&W is used until it is kicked into a curb drain by Mick (Paul Drake). He then uses his AMC Auto Mag Pistol in .44 AMP as a replacement. This is different style of Harry using different weapon by the end of the movie. Sudden Impact is the fourth installment in the Dirty Harry film franchise and the only Dirty Harry film to be directed by Clint Eastwood himself. Eastwood returns as Inspector "Dirty Harry" Callahan, who visits a small Northern California city while on leave from the department and finds himself encountering a woman (Sondra Locke) with a vendetta against some of the town's citizens. The 1983 sequel also is the sequel where Eastwood utters the immortal line "Go ahead, make my day", while holding his Smith & Wesson Model 29. Sudden Impact also made popular the use of the .44 Magnum AMP Auto Mag Model 180. Sudden Impact is a 1983 American action film and the fourth film in the Dirty Harry series, directed by Clint Eastwood (making it the only Dirty Harry film to be directed by Eastwood himself), and starring Eastwood and Sondra Locke.This is the basic plot of the movie, it is a revenge flick about a rape victim who murderous spree of revenge puts his own ideas of justice to the test! I grew up with this movie and I still love it, even tough this flick was really dark, Sondra Locke played in it, Clint Eastwood's girlfriend at the time. They made many movies together including: The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Gauntlet (1977), Every Which Way But Loose (1978) and Any Which Way You Can. Sudden Impact (1983) was the last movie Sondra made with Clint Eastwood together. I think Clint did a terrific job of directing and producing his last and the only Dirty Harry movie. I still prefer Dirty Harry and Magnum Force as two of the best movies, but this is my third best movie of Dirty Harry and Clint Eastwood. This movie is a perfect 10.