Sudden Impact (1983)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Harry Julian Fink (characters creator) and
Rita M. Fink (characters creator) ...

Release Date:

9 December 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Two killers are at large. One of them is Dirty Harry. [Video]

Plot:

A rape victim is exacting revenge on her agressors in a small town outside San Francisco. Dirty Harry, on suspension for angering his superiors (again), is assigned to the case.

Plot Keywords:

Rape | Revenge | Rape Victim | Police | Heart Attack

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Harry Callahan
Sondra Locke	...	Jennifer Spencer
Pat Hingle	...	Chief Jannings
Bradford Dillman	...	Captain Briggs
Paul Drake	...	Mick
Audrie J. Neenan	...	Ray Parkins
Jack Thibeau	...	Kruger
Michael Currie	...	Lt. Donnelly
Albert Popwell	...	Horace King
Mark Keyloun	...	Officer Bennett
Kevyn Major Howard	...	Hawkins
Bette Ford	...	Leah
Nancy Parsons	...	Mrs. Kruger
Joe Bellan	...	Burly Detective
Wendell Wellman	...	Tyrone

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | USA:R (certificate #27193) | Sweden:(Banned) (original rating) | Finland:K-16 (1993) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (1984) (cut) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1986) | Australia:R | Canada:R | France:-12 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 (DVD rating) | Sweden:15 (re-rating) (heavily cut) | UK:18 | West Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1988) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1984-2003) (cinema release) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Bowles Franklin Galleries - 765 Beach Street, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The last of six movies made by real-life couple Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Harry "rips" a page from the teletype machine, it's clear that the page had already been separated.

Quotes:

Harry Callahan: [picks up print and then heads towards chief's office, where the chief cordially awaits for him]
Chief Lester Jannings: Come in.
Harry Callahan: [enters]
Chief Lester Jannings: Lock the door.
Harry Callahan: [just closes the door]
Chief Lester Jannings: Sit down.
Harry Callahan: [does]
[a few seconds later, the phone on the chief's desk buzzes and one of the buttons lights up]
Chief Lester Jannings: [picks the phone up, presses the button that lit up, and gives the reciever to Harry] It's for you.
Lt. Donnelly: [on phone]
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mannequin: On the Move (1991)

Soundtrack:

THIS SIDE OF FOREVER

Dramatic Harry

Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan once again angers his superiors with his maverick approach to police work. Refusing to take a vacation he is given a simple case which takes him outside of San Francisco. However, he soon discovers a link between a recent murder in the city and a murder outside of the city, which leads him to the trail of a revenge killer.

As an entry in the Dirty Harry franchise the film starts with some very promising moments, including the legendary "Go ahead, make my day" line that Eastwood delivers wonderfully through clenched teeth before single handedly foiling a robbery. Very badass and it just what fans can expect from him. However, the film soon shifts gears and focuses on the mysterious revenge killer. The problem is that this killer isn't all that mysterious as she is characterized as much as Harry is. This really detracts from the presence of the main character who ruled all of his previous film appearances with, pardon the pun, Magnum Force.

On the bright side this new storyline does draw several parallels to Harry's own unorthodox methods and gives his character dramatic depth that was not there before, but fans that were looking for another badass Harry outing will more than likely be somewhat disappointed. However, a tense climax ends the film on an exciting note so if you don't mind something a little different, it is a good movie for fans. --- 7/10

Rated R for violence and a rape scene