Movie Review # 1005 - Sudden Impact
I recently watched Sudden Impact, a 1983 film, the fourth in the Dirty Harry series, directed, produced by and starring Clint Eastwood and co-starring Sondra Locke. The film tells the story of a gang rape victim (Locke) who decides to seek revenge on the rapists ten years after the attack by killing them one by one. Inspector Callahan (Eastwood), famous for his unconventional and often brutal crime-fighting tactics, is tasked with tracking down the serial killer. The movie was decent but hasn't aged well. The dialog was dated and the story line has been done a lot. The villain was just too silly and laughing way too much, like all crazy people laugh.
I give the movie 3.75 out of 5 stars.
In 1973, artist Jennifer Spencer and her sister, Beth, are gang-raped. The attack leaves Beth in a catatonic state. Ten years later, an enraged Spencer seeks revenge and kills one of the rapists. She then moves to the town of San Paulo, looking for the remaining criminals.
Meanwhile, Inspector Harry Callahan is frustrated when a judge yet again dismisses a case due to his lawless methods. At his favorite diner, he foils a robbery, killing three criminals in the process. Callahan later causes powerful crime lord Threlkis to suffer a fatal heart attack, after threatening him with prosecution in a murder case.
Unable to fire him because his methods "get results", Callahan's superiors instead order him to take a vacation. However, his relaxation is short-lived when four of Threlkis's hitmen attack him. Callahan gets to dispatch three, while the fourth one escapes. Later, the suspect from the dismissed case and his friends throw Molotov cocktails into his car. Acting in self-defense, he manages to cause his attackers to crash their car and die. Callahan's supervisor, Lieutenant Donnelly, immediately sends him to San Paulo to investigate the Wilburn murder.
Upon arriving in San Paulo, Callahan chases down a robber. The reckless but successful pursuit draws the anger of the local police. While jogging with his bulldog Meathead, Callahan accidentally runs into Spencer. While being less than thrilled, she feels no anger toward Callahan. Upon returning to his room at a motel, he is targeted by the surviving Threlkis hitman, who fails and gets killed by the inspector. Meanwhile, Spencer kills a second rapist, Kruger, at the beach. Callahan recognizes the modus operandi, but local police chief Lester Jannings refuses to work with him.
Callahan learns that the victims are friends of Jannings' son, Alby. Ray Parkins, the female member of the gang of rapists, figures out that they are being targeted and warns the remaining two, Tyrone and Mick. At an outdoor cafe, Callahan meets Spencer again. Over drinks, he learns that she shares his emphasis on results over methods when seeking justice. But, the inspector adds the caveat "'til it breaks the law." Callahan reveals that he is investigating Wilburn's murder, which rattles Spencer. Later, he finds Tyrone dead. To be more protected, Mick stays with Parkins at her place. While visiting them for questioning, Callahan is attacked by Mick. After he subdues Mick and takes him to the police station, Spencer arrives and guns down Parkins.
Callahan and Spencer meet again and sleep together. On his way out, Callahan notices her car, which he had seen earlier at Parkins' house, and soon finds Parkins' body. Eddie and Carl bail Mick out of jail. Meanwhile, policeman Horace arrives at Callahan's motel to celebrate the easing of tensions in San Francisco. He meets Mick and his henchmen instead, who have been waiting to spring an ambush, and gets killed. Mick's gang then neuter Meathead with a switchblade and beat up Callahan before throwing him into the ocean.
Spencer arrives at the Jannings home with the intention of killing Alby, who was one of the rapists. To her surprise, Alby, like her sister, is catatonic. A guilty conscience caused him to attempt suicide, which left him with permanent brain damage. Jannings admits that, to protect his reputation and his only child, he failed to jail the guilty parties. He convinces Spencer to spare Alby's life and promises that Mick will be punished. Mick and the others, however, arrive and capture Spencer, killing Jannings with her .38.
Enraged at what Mick's gang have done to Horace and Meathead, Callahan goes after them. The gang brings Spencer to the boardwalk for another rape, but are startled by Callahan's apparent return from the dead. After killing Eddie and Carl, Callahan chases Mick, who absconds with Spencer atop a rollercoaster. There, Spencer breaks free and Callahan shoots Mick down.
The police arrive and find Spencer's .38 on Mick; ballistics, Callahan states, will prove that "his gun … was used in all the killings." A compassionate Callahan and a vindicated Spencer leave the crime scene together.
I give the movie 3.75 out of 5 stars.
In 1973, artist Jennifer Spencer and her sister, Beth, are gang-raped. The attack leaves Beth in a catatonic state. Ten years later, an enraged Spencer seeks revenge and kills one of the rapists. She then moves to the town of San Paulo, looking for the remaining criminals.
Meanwhile, Inspector Harry Callahan is frustrated when a judge yet again dismisses a case due to his lawless methods. At his favorite diner, he foils a robbery, killing three criminals in the process. Callahan later causes powerful crime lord Threlkis to suffer a fatal heart attack, after threatening him with prosecution in a murder case.
Unable to fire him because his methods "get results", Callahan's superiors instead order him to take a vacation. However, his relaxation is short-lived when four of Threlkis's hitmen attack him. Callahan gets to dispatch three, while the fourth one escapes. Later, the suspect from the dismissed case and his friends throw Molotov cocktails into his car. Acting in self-defense, he manages to cause his attackers to crash their car and die. Callahan's supervisor, Lieutenant Donnelly, immediately sends him to San Paulo to investigate the Wilburn murder.
Upon arriving in San Paulo, Callahan chases down a robber. The reckless but successful pursuit draws the anger of the local police. While jogging with his bulldog Meathead, Callahan accidentally runs into Spencer. While being less than thrilled, she feels no anger toward Callahan. Upon returning to his room at a motel, he is targeted by the surviving Threlkis hitman, who fails and gets killed by the inspector. Meanwhile, Spencer kills a second rapist, Kruger, at the beach. Callahan recognizes the modus operandi, but local police chief Lester Jannings refuses to work with him.
Callahan learns that the victims are friends of Jannings' son, Alby. Ray Parkins, the female member of the gang of rapists, figures out that they are being targeted and warns the remaining two, Tyrone and Mick. At an outdoor cafe, Callahan meets Spencer again. Over drinks, he learns that she shares his emphasis on results over methods when seeking justice. But, the inspector adds the caveat "'til it breaks the law." Callahan reveals that he is investigating Wilburn's murder, which rattles Spencer. Later, he finds Tyrone dead. To be more protected, Mick stays with Parkins at her place. While visiting them for questioning, Callahan is attacked by Mick. After he subdues Mick and takes him to the police station, Spencer arrives and guns down Parkins.
Callahan and Spencer meet again and sleep together. On his way out, Callahan notices her car, which he had seen earlier at Parkins' house, and soon finds Parkins' body. Eddie and Carl bail Mick out of jail. Meanwhile, policeman Horace arrives at Callahan's motel to celebrate the easing of tensions in San Francisco. He meets Mick and his henchmen instead, who have been waiting to spring an ambush, and gets killed. Mick's gang then neuter Meathead with a switchblade and beat up Callahan before throwing him into the ocean.
Spencer arrives at the Jannings home with the intention of killing Alby, who was one of the rapists. To her surprise, Alby, like her sister, is catatonic. A guilty conscience caused him to attempt suicide, which left him with permanent brain damage. Jannings admits that, to protect his reputation and his only child, he failed to jail the guilty parties. He convinces Spencer to spare Alby's life and promises that Mick will be punished. Mick and the others, however, arrive and capture Spencer, killing Jannings with her .38.
Enraged at what Mick's gang have done to Horace and Meathead, Callahan goes after them. The gang brings Spencer to the boardwalk for another rape, but are startled by Callahan's apparent return from the dead. After killing Eddie and Carl, Callahan chases Mick, who absconds with Spencer atop a rollercoaster. There, Spencer breaks free and Callahan shoots Mick down.
The police arrive and find Spencer's .38 on Mick; ballistics, Callahan states, will prove that "his gun … was used in all the killings." A compassionate Callahan and a vindicated Spencer leave the crime scene together.