THE ENFORCER

I know what you're thinking. Did I star in this film before or after the monkey movie? Well, as this is the third film in the franchise, all I have to say is, go ahead, make your day by watching the following 96-minute crime drama released in 1976. It was directed by James Fargo and stars Clint Eastwood, Tyne Daly, and Albert Popwell.


The Enforcer

THE STORY:

She's inexperienced. She's never shot a gun in her life. Plus, to top it all off, she's a woman.

Nonetheless, the pocket PC, Kate Moore (Tyne Daly), is hired to become an inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, to the chagrin of her fellow inspector, 'Dirty' Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood).

But why should Harry care if Kate becomes an inspector or not? Well, it's because she becomes his new partner too - that's why - due to the fact that his previous partner bit the bullet while battling the People's Revolutionary Strike Force.

You've heard about these revolutionary rascals, haven't you? Recently, they got their hands on a sh*t load of dangerous weapons, and are not afraid to use them to further their own pockets. 

I'm sure you'll agree that all this sounds pretty bad for both Harry and Kate. So, to help them track these punks down, they turn to several people who know about their cause, such as the negro activist, Big Ed Mustapha (Albert Popwell), before being pointed in the right direction, namely, the direction of Bobby Maxwell (DeVeren Bookwalter).

Then again, that's most probably why what next transpires kicks off when the mayor gets kidnapped by the not-so free-loving piece-nicks of America. As Kate gets flirty - Harry gets dirty - priests see the light - and Alcatraz best get ready for one hell of a fight.

THE REVIEW:

Do you know what? While I'm writing this article, I can hear a fairly loud commotion coming from outside of my window. Music is blaring. People are screaming. And all in all, the motley crew who are having a good time at everyone else's expense are... uhhh... having a good time... presumably. So, what should I do about it? Or to be more specific about it, what would I do about it if I were one of the characters in this film, 'The Enforcer'?

Well, if I were Dirty Harry, the answer would be pretty obvious... BANG-BANG-BANG! But what if I were someone else? The mayor, for instance. Would I just turn the other cheek and hope for the best? Or how about Lacc... err... I mean Kate? What would I do if I were in her high-heeled shoes? Would I try to talk them down and hope that none of them would attack me? Or would I change my shoes to something a bit more practical?

It's an interesting dilemma, isn't it? And that is exactly the type of quandary that is at the heart of this film - reaction - and whose stance is right or wrong.

There was a scene in this film that illustrates this point perfectly. It's the scene where Harry first meets Kate at her interview, and quizzes her rather jovially about whether she is the right person for the job at hand. Granted, some people could view Harry's stance as being somewhat bigoted, especially compared with today's more modern standards. However, to me, what he was trying to do was to illustrate who's the right person for the job, rather than someone to fill a politically correct quota. 

Anyway, that's enough of my bullsh*t, let's have some filmic facts, huh? (1) This flick was going to be called 'Moving Target' or 'Dirty Harry III'. (2) The two militant organisations seen in this film were partly modeled on two real-life militant groups. One was the Symbionese Liberation Army and the other was the Black Panther Party. (3) This was the only Dirty Harry film that did not include the music of the Argentinean film composer, Lalo Schifrin. (4) Originally, Clint was supposed to direct this production himself, but when he ran into some editing difficulties on another one of his projects, 'The Outlaw Josey Wales', he quickly passed the reins onto his assistant director, James Fargo. (5) At the time this film was being made, Alcatraz Prison was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (6) There was an improvisational scene shot where Clint's character and Tyne's character were having a drink together at a bar. They only managed to have one good take, though, resulting in this scene being cut from the movie. (7) This was Michael Cavanaugh's motion picture debut. (8) An unnamed writer sued Clint Eastwood for plagiarism in 1980, accusing him of taking the title of this movie from one of his very own projects. Thankfully, Clint shot this accusation down in court by stating that the name in question derived from the Humphrey Bogart thriller, 'The Enforcer'. (9) Allegedly, Tyne Daly turned down her role in this film three times before deciding to take a part in it, with one additional proviso - remove the romance angle between her character and Clint's character. Clint agreed. And (10) This movie grossed sixty million dollars on its initial release, and doubled when it went overseas.

Overall, I would have to say that 'The Enforcer' was a fairly decent film. On the one hand, I loved the actors, the pretext, and the underlying message it was attempting to convey. While on the other hand, there were a few scenarios that felt a bit fleeting in retrospect, such as the mayoral inclusion, for example, or that whole suit-wearing bomber ploy. Having said that, though, I have to hold up my hands and state for the record that I really did get a kick out of this movie. It had that Clint Eastwood/seventies swagger that I really do dig. Agreed, Inspectors?

Ha! You've got to love it.

THE RATING: A-