“I know what you're thinking: 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?”
Make no mistake, this 4K upgrade of Don Siegel’s classic Dirty Harry is the real deal. It’s a fantastic looking and sounding transfer which is housed in a magnificent SteelBook and proves that, if companies will make the effort on their transfers, physical media may not be as dead as some claim it to be. If you already own a copy of the movie, this release is worth the double-dip.
Dirty Harry, inspired by the zodiac murders which plagued Southern California, features an iconic performance from Clint Eastwood who plays Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan as he hunts down a serial killer as only a loose cannon like himself can. It’s politically incorrect and charged with a whole lot of steely-eyed moments as Callahan insults his way through the investigation, pissing off everyone involved - including the killer, a fine and psychotic performance from Andy Robinson, who plays the sniper killer at the center of all the mayhem.
Scorpio (Robinson) means business. He’s unhinged and deadly with a rifle. And, as the beautiful opening suggests, absolutely willing to blow away anyone with his aim. With the San Francisco cops puzzled by his mysterious messages and the entire population scared out of their minds, it’s up to one loose cannon to get the job done . . . and he’s not afraid to ruffle anyone’s feathers in the pursuit of this dangerous killer.
Just don’t give him a partner. Well, when Harry is assigned a rookie partner, Chico Gonzalez (Reni Santoni), all bets are off on him playing nicely with his fellow department members. He might be a pig - in all definitions of the word - but it is a fantastic character for Eastwood to dive into and it pays off as we find ourselves fed up with the bureaucracy of the whole investigation, too.
But the real star here is the locations in this San Francisco-bound shoot. Siegel is wise to detail all the cracks and corners of the city with cinematographer Bruce Surtees and hits upon a neon-soaked grimy truth here in the city streets. It’s rough out there, you know?! And everyone feels it, too. The desperation. The perspiration. It’s all showcased here in the locations and composer’s Lalo Schifrin jazzy score - percussion heavy, as it is - hits all the right notes, as well, illuminating the panic and uneasiness as this serial killer goes about his business.
4K Ultra HD + Digital 4K / SteelBook / Limited Edition
Home Video Distributor: Warner Bros.
Available on Blu-ray - April 29, 2025
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH; French; Spanish; Danish; Dutch; Finnish; Norwegian; Swedish
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos; English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0; French: Dolby Digital 2.0
Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc; Single disc
Region Encoding: 4K region-free
Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood stars as no-holds-barred San Francisco cop ‘Dirty Harry Callahan’ in this action thriller that launched an action franchise--Dirty Harry. When detective Callahan is assigned to pay extortion money to a serial murderer, the payoff goes wrong. Now with the life of a 14-year-old girl at stake, Callahan refuses to allow anything--including the law--to keep him from stopping the killer
VIDEO
Sourced from an 8K scan of the original camera negative, Warner Brother's new 2160p/HDR10 transfer of Dirty Harry is remarkably bold, vibrant, and makes quite a statement. Their 4K restoration is bright and full of life. In fact, the film looks more glorious than ever. There is no wasted second in this upgrade; the visuals are exceedingly smooth with visible grain and a strong commitment to fine detail which is occasionally softened by source issues, low lighting, and focus shifts. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal on this one. It has a solid atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments of this epic adventure. The tracking shots are glorious to behold in 4K. Blacks are solid and shadows maintain their lines. Even the costumes are noted stitch by stitch.
AUDIO
Warner Bros. has included the original mono mix presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio and it makes a particularly LOUD and CLEAN statement, as well.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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Ported over from other releases is A legacy track featuring film critic Richard Schickel, which ought to please fans.
Special Features:
New featurettes? Yes, please. And, included here, we get those mixed with some legacy featurettes.
- Audio Commentary
- NEW! Generations and Dirty Harry
- NEW! Lensing Justice: The Cinematography of Dirty Harry
- American Masters Career Retrospective - Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows
- Clint Eastwood: The Man from Malposo
- Clint Eastwood - A Cinematic Legacy: Fighting for Justice
- Interview Gallery
- Dirty Harry's Way
- Dirty Harry: The Original
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 102 mins
Director: Don Siegel
Writer: Harry Julian Fink; Rita M. Fink
Cast: Clint Eastwood; Andrew Robinson; Harry Guardino
Genre: Action | Crime
Tagline: Dirty Harry and the homicidal maniac. Harry's the one with the badge.
Memorable Movie Quote: “I know what you're thinking: 'Did he fire six shots or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, I've kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you, punk?”
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Bros.
Official Site:
Release Date: December 23, 1971.
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: April 29, 2025.
Synopsis: When a man calling himself "the Scorpio Killer" menaces San Francisco, tough-as-nails Police Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan is assigned to track down the crazed psychopath.
