Sudden Impact

Eastwood keeps things moving at a furious pace and the series' formula of having a steely-eyed "dinosaur" like Harry cutting through the red tape and vanquishing the scum of the earth remains irresistible. Read full review

The trouble with Sudden Impact is that it has the makings of a fascinating, multileveled melodrama, but settles for crude, comic-book detail. Eastwood doesn't want to let down his Dirty Harry fans, but at the same time he wants to take this character into deeper and murkier waters. The result is curious, a disquisition on the justice of revenge written with a spray can. [12 Dec 1983, p.109]

The real problem here is technical; Eastwood the director is far less sure-footed than he was with the likes of Play Misty for Me or The Outlaw Josey Wales. Read full review

Unfortunately, it fizzles after a fast-paced, action-packed, full-of-business-and-bullets beginning...It's not the fault of Eastwood the actor, who's still every bit the spaghetti samurai. It's Eastwood the director, with his flashbacks and symbolism, who misjudges the pace."Sudden Impact probably isn't worth a few dollars more. Read full review

It's difficult to view Sudden Impact as anything more exciting or authentic than the action movie equivalent of drawn-out foreplay and faked orgasm. Read full review