Sudden Impact (DVD)

The fourth Dirty Harry film is a complete embarrassment to memories of the stunning Don Siegel movie that started the franchise. Gratuitous and somehow sleazy, this cop flick finds Eastwood's Harry Callahan searching for a female serial killer (Sondra Locke) who happens to be a vengeful rape victim ridding the world of guys who can't take "no" for an answer. The whole silly Callahan myth--the way he'll just stand in the shadows with his big gun until the bad guys realize they're going to die--almost makes one wonder how Eastwood survived this junk to become an A-list director in his winter years. Best known for the line "Go ahead, make my day." --Tom Keogh