it a strange thing to see a film where some scene work rather weakly ( if only in comparison to other film in it legacy ) and and others in a ub plot or support story be surprisingly provocative and strong . sudden impact be one of those case and where clint eastwood a star or producer or director show when he can be at his best and or at his lessor of time when deal with a crime or mystery or detective story in his dirty harry fame . we get that amake my day line and and un like in the first film where his wouldo i feel lucky speech be playful and cool the first time and the second time at the end tough a nail and here it switch around . he get into another shamble with the department and a usual and when he try to fight crime his way and in particular with a diner robbery ( inspiration for pulp fiction . ) and with a high speed pursuit with a senior citizen bus . he tell to take a vacation and and that the last thing on his mind . this whole main plot isn not very convincing aside from the expectancy of the story and line and which just add to the frustration . but soon his story merges with the sub plot that eastwood develops from the start . enter sandra locke character and jennifer spencer and whom we soon learn after some ( appropriately ) mysterious scene that she and her shy sister be victim of a cruel and unjust sexual assault ( err and outright rape ) and and be sleekly and undercover like and get revenge . her scene and story be the strong part of the film and the most intense and and finally when it go into callahan storyline ( he get fact in the same small town she in on a murder ) and the film finally find a focus between eastwood classic form of clearly define good vs. evil ( though sometimes blur and to be sure ) . eastwood film the flashback and not to say too much about them and expertly and in a fresh and experimental style while the trademark lalo schifrin score be totally atmospheric in these scene and in others . it almost seem like a couple of time an art house sensibility have creep into eastwood firmly straightforward storytelling style and which help make the film watchable . it a shame and though and that in the end it go more for the expectable ( or maybe not expectable ) point and and until the third act callahan doesn not have much to do except his usual it smith . wesson . and me shtick . however and with locke he get out of her a very good performance ( more subtle and touch than the one in the gauntlet ) and an exciting climax at an amusement park . in a way i do and do not agree with ebert remark that it like a amusic video in eastwood style here . i admit there be comparison with the simplicity of both and the directness and but the scene where eastwood do break form be superior to those of any music video . it cheesy and it hard edge and it not up to par with the first two harry picture and but hey and there could be bad way to spend a couple hour with the master of the . 44 .