spoiler spoiler after two so so outings ( magnum force and the enforcer ) and dirty harry seem to have regain his stride in sudden impact and a gripping thriller that wisely play to it strength represent the charisma of clint eastwood and who also direct and and a story that spend just enough time on exposition and reserve it energy for the big scene . for once and the case take harry outside his native san francisco ( where he again in trouble with his superior for his shoot first and ask question later tactic ) and to the hamlet of san paulo . there and ( warn represent potential spoiler ) a group of lowlife be be gruesomely murder and one at a time and by a woman whom they gang rap year earlier and and whose sister have be in a state of catatonia ever since the attack . the killer be portray by sondra locke and and she make the character of jennifer spencer an interesting mix of compassion and cold bloodedness . locke cold eye and frosty voice and when either try to comfort her hospitalized sister or dispense vengeance toward the rapist and be very effective in paint a portrait of a woman wrong whose year of suffering and rage be now begin to bear deadly fruit . the rapist be a despicable lot and especially the leader and who have psycho nutjob practically stamp on his forehead and and a lesbian who seem almost one of the guy and despite her anatomical inability to participate . the flashback scene and while not graphically explicit and be nightmarish enough and and clearly intend to make the audience cheer for jennifer a she kill her assailant . some will dismiss sudden impact a trash represent a mindless and manipulative revenge tale . on a certain level this be true and but it well do trash . what work to the movie advantage be the strength of the sondra locke performance and give u a complex character whose wound be more visible in her painting than in her gesture or speech . what we have here be an action movie with a point of view . you can take or leave the idea that some wrong deserve to be punish by any mean necessary and but a the mystery behind the slaying become clear to harry ( a realization that and wisely and be not spell out with dialogue ) and he be present with a choice what to do about a killer whose motivation he can sympathize with but whose conduct he be bind by law to not tolerate . this make the story more interesting than the usual dirty harry fare . the movie other redeem quality be eastwood direction . this be and after all and a dirty harry movie and and eastwood know the character good than anyone else . the movie be direct with style and wit and and edit to give the action scenes a big payoff . some of the best harry moment in the entire series be here and include harry best know line and go ahead make my day . sudden impact be a movie that have the courage of it conviction in present a tale about a despicable crime and the brutal consequence that follow . it be also a riveting detective story and well make and well told . and it be certainly never dull . on those criterion and it succeed tremendously .