In 1971, movie audiences were taken aback by a shockingly gritty yet highly entertaining and suspenseful film called 'Dirty Harry'. Although it ended with the title cop tossing his badge in a river, the movie was too much of a success for studio executives to end Harry's story there. So, 2 years later, they released a follow-up: 'Magnum Force'.
The plot follows Harry investigating a series of murders where the victims are all criminals and the killer always disguises as a police officer. However, by the point that you're 50 minutes in, you aren't quite sure about what is supposed to be the main story. There have been a few of these killings, and a few action scenes with Harry that don't seem to have anything to do with the main story, but you're not completely sure what's the most important part for you to follow.
If you don't think about the plot, it's a better movie. But it's not a very good one, as it is rather dull and unoriginal. You will definitely see the twist coming, and the scenes leading up to the twist aren't even very mysterious.
Another thing that makes this movie feel a bit bland is the lack of an interesting villain. While The Scorpio killer in this film's predecessor was a shockingly maniacal and relentless monster, The enemies here have very little personality, and just feel like plot devices. In fact, many parts of the movie lack personality. The basic plot is just an excuse for action sequences, and doesn't have much else to it. To the film's credit, these scenes are certainly exciting, but the scenes without action are largely boring.
In conclusion, 'Magnum Force' is an unnecessary and lackluster sequel that doesn't add any new ideas to the series or the genre. Unless you're a die hard fan of Clint Eastwood, this entry in his filmography is worth skipping.
The plot follows Harry investigating a series of murders where the victims are all criminals and the killer always disguises as a police officer. However, by the point that you're 50 minutes in, you aren't quite sure about what is supposed to be the main story. There have been a few of these killings, and a few action scenes with Harry that don't seem to have anything to do with the main story, but you're not completely sure what's the most important part for you to follow.
If you don't think about the plot, it's a better movie. But it's not a very good one, as it is rather dull and unoriginal. You will definitely see the twist coming, and the scenes leading up to the twist aren't even very mysterious.
Another thing that makes this movie feel a bit bland is the lack of an interesting villain. While The Scorpio killer in this film's predecessor was a shockingly maniacal and relentless monster, The enemies here have very little personality, and just feel like plot devices. In fact, many parts of the movie lack personality. The basic plot is just an excuse for action sequences, and doesn't have much else to it. To the film's credit, these scenes are certainly exciting, but the scenes without action are largely boring.
In conclusion, 'Magnum Force' is an unnecessary and lackluster sequel that doesn't add any new ideas to the series or the genre. Unless you're a die hard fan of Clint Eastwood, this entry in his filmography is worth skipping.