I think of the Dirty Harry series as one of the greatest film series of all time. Maybe there's only one great, definitive classic in it, but there's no weak entry. All five films are very entertaining action movies revolving around a great character.
While everybody is familiar with Dirty Harry, not many people nowadays seem to have actually seen any of the films. They just know he's Clint Eastwood and he has a .44 magnum and says "Go ahead, make my day."
Dirty Harry (1971)
This is easily the best of the series and one of the greatest action films of all time. Hell, it's one of the greatest movies of all time. It introduces Eastwood as Inspector Harry Callahan, a San Francisco cop who isn't big on traditional methods. The most memorable scene in the movie actually has nothing to do with the plot, but it is a great action scene and establishes how badass he is with his famous line: "You've got to ask yourself one question: do I feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?"
This is a very funny movie, too. Callahan's a racist, misogynist pig, and yet you like him the entire way. Another great thing about this film is the villain. Loosely based on the Zodiac killer, Scorpio is probably the most underrated villain in movie history. He's completely insane and pure evil, a worthy adversary of Callahan's, and they meet a few different times.
This was a huge hit, perhaps surprisingly so, due to its R rating. Actually it was the most violent film ever made when it came out, with plenty of deaths and a good deal of blood. It has some great scenes, like the bank robbery early on, and the climax. If anything, this film is more relevant now than when it came out, with torture constantly being questioned by the law. Just a great movie overall.
Magnum Force (1973)
Magnum Force is clearly a step down from Dirty Harry but still a solid film. In it, Callahan has to take down a few renegade cops who kill criminals who have gotten off. It's quite similar in a lot of ways to the first film, with the action scene early that has nothing to do with the plot, and a new Callahan catchphrase: "A man's got to know his limitations."
The film slows down for a while but picks up with an outstanding climax involving car crashes and motorcycle chases. Still a very good action movie and better than 90% of the crap that comes out today.
The Enforcer (1976)
The Enforcer is the 2nd best of the series in my opinion because it deviates from the formula a bit, despite being gimmicky at first glance. It introduces Tyne Daly as his female partner, who gives a great performance as a good character. While the film is a little more politically correct than the previous films, we know Callahan well enough to know he doesn't want to work with a woman, whether he says it or not.
This film also deals with Callahan not just fighting with his superiors, but with the media. His partner supports him and he begins to respect her. It's simplistic character development, you could say, but it's done well. As is the action in this film. Another great climax.
Sudden Impact (1983)
The look of the series is updated well to the 1980s, but this is probably the series' weakest entry. It's still decent, but a step down from the first three.
Eastwood is badass as always, and this time he runs across a rape victim who looks to kill her attackers. The action in this film isn't that great, but it's made up by some great lines like "Go ahead, make my day," and some more character development.
The Dead Pool (1988)
I just saw this the other night and it's a good conclusion to the series. It has more in common with Sudden Impact than the '70s films, but the character is as strong as ever.
This movie is paced great, and while that's true of the entire series, somehow it's most evident here. This is more of a mystery than the other films; previously we've seen the killers do their thing, and now there are scenes shot from the killer's point of view.
All that having been said, this is probably most notable for appearances by two future big-time movie stars: Liam Neeson, who plays a film director and the primary suspect, and Jim Carrey, who plays a junkie rock star. While they're not great roles, both men make their presence felt.
This also features a hell of a lot of Harry Callahan fighting with the press. It's almost as main a conflict as the one is with the killer, but it's good, and it allows for some more character development for Callahan and the female lead, played by Fordham alum Patricia Clarkson. She makes a good character as well, one of the better supporting ones in the series.
CONCLUSION
This is really a great and underrated series. It has five entertaining, well made films, and a great character in Harry Callahan. Compare him with the other big action franchise characters like Indiana Jones and James Bond, and you'll probably find him to be actually the best character. With the exception of the Lazenby and Craig films, Bond is just a spy who has sex a lot. And Jones? Well he's far from complicated.
It's also difficult to not see the influence this series, primarily the first film, has had on action films. The 70s saw a huge amount of rogue cop action movies, all of which were inspired by it. The lines of dialogue are legendary, and they've been referenced by varying sources from Ferris Bueller's Day Off to Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Bottom line is if you haven't seen these films, see them. I'd recommend the entire series, but there's quite literally no excuse to not see the first film at the very least.
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