There's a definite drop in quality between 'The Enforcer (1976)' and the previous in its series, with a general lack of deeper themes cementing it as a distinctly on-the-surface affair. Having said that, though, it's still an entertaining detective-drama that makes the most out of its squinting star and his huge cannon. The major hook of the piece is that Harry has to work with a female partner, brought into the fray by the mayor's attempts to reduce (but not remove) the disparity between sexes in the SFPD. Being a 1970s movie, its gender politics are, naturally, somewhat retrograde. Thankfully, though, the piece ultimately lands on the right message - even if it stumbles a lot in the process. It does posit that 'stylish' hiring quotas are a negative thing but, again, it is a 1970s movie. The narrative is fairly generic, but it does pull off a couple of tropes surprisingly well. It has several exciting action scenes and is typically enjoyable. In the end, it's better than the sum of its parts. 7/10
Review of The Enforcer
