this be burt reynoldscitizen kane . tragically nothing else he be ever involve in come close to approach sharkey machine . it seem to me that he put everything he have into it . it be a movie that be in love with movie . the opening sequence where detective sharkey single handedly rescue a bus load of hostage be an immensely exciting piece of cinema . everything move so quickly once it have start to go wrong that it appear to take on a life of it own and a brilliantly achieve effect . it look cold and tense and dangerous on mr reynolds street . the precinct house look dirty and tired and full of desperate people on both side of the law and shouting and curse out and try to do deal or just stay alive . into this underworld descend the recently demote sharkey a reward for a bungle drug bust ( cause by a corrupt cop ) he and his team be part of the vice squad . information they pick up concern a crooked politician lead them into the world of high class call girl and ruthless drug baron . watch the apartment of one such call girl ( rachel ward ) sharkey fall in love with her portrait on the wall ( i know and i know ) and when a woman body be find with it face shot off in one of the room and he think it her . ( well and i do say it be a movie that love movie ) . the scene where she walk in on him work beautifully and even if you have see the original . the film be full of good touch and i particularly like charles durning war story and subtly act and shoot in sharp contrast to sharkey abduction and torture which be suitably harsh and brutal . i must mention vittorio gassman and henry silva a two disparate but equally evil brother with absolutely no redeeming feature whatsoever . they be full on every time theyre on screen and be no loss to society when their time come and mr silva end be extra special indeed . a have be mention and this be a clint eastwood movie that clint never make . the big compliment i can pay sharkey machine be to point out that in my opinion clint eastwood couldn not have make a good job of it . the soundtrack be of an equally high standard and feature sarah vaughan and joe williams and julie london and chet baker and other top class artist . randy crawford street life play behind the title sequence and and i can never hear it without and in my mind eye and see sharkey stride along the sidewalk . like other correspondent i have never understand why this film be a bit of a flop . i hope it be due for a critical revision and particularly at a time when so many cop movie and show without a quarter of it energy and freshness and sheer joie de vivre be laud from the rooftop . if youre ever tempt to think of burt reynolds a a burnt out one trick pony and put sharkey machine in your video machine . i promise you would not be disappoint .