The Dead Pool

release year: 1988
genre: police drama/action
viewing setting: home DVD, 4/14/19 and 4/13/11 and 2/16/04

synopsis: Harry Callahan must solve the mystery of a kill list that he's ended up on.

impressions: Pretty entertaining. This is a more modern Dirty Harry movie, complete with late 1980s Hollywood/media insanity and another politically-correct partner. This is also the one with some notable co-stars and the remote-controlled model car with explosives attached.

Harry's kill count: 10

things to watch for: Jim Carrey, before he was famous, as a drug-abusing rock star

something this movie has that no other movie has: A foot-long model Corvette with enough power to chase a real car, and enough explosives to destroy it.

acting: Clint Eastwood looks and acts great, despite being 58 at the time, as Harry Callahan. The Chinese-American partner was good, and had some karate moves to boot. The female TV reporter was quite annoying. Liam Neeson is good in an early role as a suspicious film director, ditto Jim Carrey as the insane rock star.

final word: Fast-moving and fun, probably the last in a good series.

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