History YMMV / DirtyHarry

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Harry's gun firing. So much that it was used in ''Film/TheTerminator'' (Orion Pictures version), ''Film/DeathWish3'' (Paul Kersey's .475 Wildey Magnum), ''The Last of the Finest'', ''Series/TheYoungIndianaJonesChronicles'', ''Film/CodeOfSilence'', ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers'' (the player's default gun), ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' (when the game tallies up the player's bomb stock), ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (Barry Burton's gun in the FMV intro), and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' (Mii Koryuji's Dragon Jewel rifle in the opening).

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Harry's gun firing. So much that it was used in ''Film/TheTerminator'' (Orion Pictures version), ''Film/DeathWish3'' (Paul Kersey's .475 Wildey Magnum), ''The Last of the Finest'', ''Series/YoungIndianaJones'', ''Film/CodeOfSilence'', ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers'' (the player's default gun), ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' (when the game tallies up the player's bomb stock), ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (Barry Burton's gun in the FMV intro), and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' (Mii Koryuji's Dragon Jewel rifle in the opening).

** The belief that the first movie glorifies [[CowboyCop Cowboy Cops]] is also untrue. ''Dirty Harry'' is a case of an UnbuiltTrope and actually [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructs]] the idea that one has to break the rules to get things done. The film actually ends with Harry [[BittersweetEnding lamenting his violent antics after shooting Scorpio dead.]]

* StrawmanHasAPoint: an [[InvertedTrope Inversion]]. The district attorney drops the case against Scorpio after Harry [[spoiler:beat a confession out of him.]] The film clearly portrays the district attorney as in the right. However, Harry legally confiscated a submachine gun that was most likely unregistered seeing as Scorpio didn’t have it after. That alongside the attempted murder of Harry and Chico would’ve put Scorpio behind bars for the rest of his life.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: The Scorpio Killer, some loved Andrew Robinson's convincing and maniacal portrayal of a psychopathic serial killer, others found him to be a boring, [[FlatCharacter one dimensional]], StrawCharacter.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: Despite Siegel and Eastwood disavowing any political intent, ''Dirty Harry'' was ''extremely'' controversial when released. Critics (notably Creator/PaulineKael) attacked it as a "fascist" endorsement of police brutality, the [=ACLU=] and other liberal organizations picketed its premiere, and the press savaged it both for its alleged politics and graphic violence. However, this backlash redounded to its benefit, as conservative viewers (including police organizations and UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, who invited Eastwood to the White House after seeing it) ''loved'' the movie for the same reasons liberals hated it.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: an [[InvertedTrope Inversion]]. The district attorney drops the case against Scorpio after Harry [[spoiler:beat a confession out of him.]] The film clearly portrays the district attorney as in the right. However, Harry legallt confiscated a submachine gun that was most likely unregistered seeing as Scorpio didn’t have it after. That alongside the attempted murder of Harry and Chico would’ve put Scorpio behind bars for the rest of his life.

* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Harry's gun firing. So much that it was used in ''Film/TheTerminator'' (Orion Pictures version), ''Film/DeathWish3'' (Paul Kersey's .475 Wildey Magnum), ''Series/YoungIndianaJones'', ''Film/CodeOfSilence'', ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers'' (the player's default gun), ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' (when the game tallies up the player's bomb stock), ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (Barry Burton's gun in the FMV intro), and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' (Mii Koryuji's Dragon Jewel rifle in the opening).

* ReferencedBy: In ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff'', Grace tells Ed Rooney that he sounded like Dirty Harry when he declared he had to put an end to Ferris's supposed bad influence on the student body. He briefly tries to make his best Dirty Harry face, then shakes it off and sincerely thanks her for her flattery.
* {{Sequelitis}}: General consensus seems to be that each film is successively weaker than the last, although there are some who argue that ''Sudden Impact'' is better than ''The Enforcer'' was.

* CompleteMonster: [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Charles Davis]], better known as the [[SerialKiller Scorpio Killer]], is a [[AxCrazy psychotic madman]] who kills for money, but mainly for his own amusement. After sniping a swimming woman, he demands $100,000 in payment or he will continue his killing spree. After he is foiled in another killing attempt, he [[WouldHurtAChild murders a young boy]] and then tries to kill a priest, killing a police officer in the process. He then kidnaps a 14-year-old girl and buries her alive, demanding a ransom in exchange for her life. When "Dirty" Harry Callahan arrives with the money, Scorpio strikes him down and reveals that [[ILied he was going to let the girl die anyways]]. The police find the girl, but are unable to save her life. Scorpio's final gambit is to hold a school bus full of children hostage, planning to kill them all. Upon being foiled by Callahan, Scorpio threatens to shoot a young boy fishing.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: The Scorpio Killer, some loved Andrew Robinson's convincing and maniacal portrayal of a psychopathic serial killer, others found him to be a boring, one dimensional, StrawCharacter.

* MoralEventHorizon: Scorpio crosses the line when he's revealed to have raped and murdered the young teenage girl he demanded a ransom for.

* MoralEventHorizon: Scorpio crosses the line when he gleefully shoots children.

* CompleteMonster: [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Charles Davis]], better known as the [[SerialKiller Scorpio Killer]], is a [[AxCrazy psychotic madman]] who kills for money, but mainly for his own amusement. After sniping a swimming woman, he demands $100,000 in payment or he will continue his killing spree. After he is foiled in another killing attempt, he [[WouldHurtAChild murders a young boy]] and then makes an attempt to kill a priest, killing a police officer in the process. He then kidnaps a 14-year-old girl and buries her alive, demanding a ransom in exchange for her life. When "Dirty" Harry Callahan arrives with the money, Scorpio strikes him down and reveals that [[ILied he was going to let the girl die anyways]]. The police find the girl, but are unable to save her life. Scorpio's final gambit is to hold a school bus full of children hostage, planning to kill them all. Upon being foiled by Callahan, Scorpio threatens to shoot a young boy fishing.

* CompleteMonster: [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Charles Davis]], better known as [[SerialKiller The Scorpio Killer]], is a [[AxCrazy psychotic madman]] who kills for money, but mainly [[ForTheEvulz for his own amusement]]. After sniping a swimming woman, he demands $100,000 in payment or he will continue his killing spree. After he is foiled in another killing attempt, he [[WouldHurtAChild murders a young boy]] by blowing off his face and then makes an attempt to kill a priest, [[CopKiller killing a police officer in the process]]. He then kidnaps a 14-year-old girl and buries her alive, demanding a ransom in exchange for her life. The girl is implied to have been raped by characters in the film and in a letter from Scorpio in which he claims she has "nice tits" and a mole on her thigh. When [[TheHero Harry Callahan]] arrives with the money, Scorpio strikes him down and reveals [[ILied that he was going to let the girl die anyways]]. The police find the girl, but are unable to save her life, finding her lifeless and naked. Scorpio's final gambit is to hold a school bus full of children hostage, planning to kill them all. Upon being foiled by Callahan, Scorpio threatens to shoot a young boy fishing. He finally attempts to shoot Callahan before being shot dead. [[DirtyCoward Cowardly]] and {{sadist}}ic, Scorpio provides a contrast with [[CowboyCop loose cannon cop]] Harry Callahan, who, despite his methods, ultimately aimed to give criminals apt punishments when the bureaucratic justice system wouldn't.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: Despite Siegel and Eastwood disavowing any political intent, ''Dirty Harry'' was ''extremely'' controversial when released. Critics (notably Creator/PaulineKael) attacked it as a "fascist" endorsement of police brutality, the [=ACLU=] and other liberal organizations picketed its premiere, and the press savaged it both for its alleged politics and graphic violence. However, this backlash redounded to its benefit, as conservative viewers (including police organizations and UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, who invited Eastwood to the White House after seeing it) ''loved'' the movie for the same reasons liberals hated it.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: Despite Siegel and Eastwood disavowing any political intent, ''Dirty Harry'' was ''extremely'' controversial when released. Critics (notably Pauline Kael) attacked it as a "fascist" endorsement of police brutality, the [=ACLU=] and other liberal organizations picketed its premiere, and the press savaged it both for its alleged politics and graphic violence. However, this backlash redounded to its benefit, as conservative viewers (including police organizations and UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, who invited Eastwood to the White House after seeing it) ''loved'' the movie for the same reasons liberals hated it.

* MostWonderfulSound: Harry's gun firing. So much that it was used in ''Film/TheTerminator'' (Orion Pictures version), ''Film/DeathWish3'' (Paul Kersey's .475 Wildey Magnum), ''Series/YoungIndianaJones'', ''Film/CodeOfSilence'', ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers'' (the player's default gun), ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' (when the game tallies up the player's bomb stock), ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (Barry Burton's gun in the FMV intro), and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' (Mii Koryuji's Dragon Jewel rifle in the opening).

* TechnologyMarchesOn: The most powerful handgun in the world. In fairness, the claim is only made in the initial movie, but an upgrade is made to the .44 [=AutoMag=] in ''Sudden Impact''. Given that handguns have gone up to impractical calibres even for action movies, he goes back to his famous S&W revolver for ''The Dead Pool''.

* CompleteMonster: [[FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon Charles Davis]], better known as [[SerialKiller The Scorpio Killer]], is a [[AxCrazy psychoticmadman]] who kills for money, but mainly [[ForTheEvulz for his own amusement]]. After sniping a swimming woman, he demands $100,000 in payment or he will continue his killing spree. After he is foiled in another killing attempt, he [[WouldHurtAChild murders a young boy]] by blowing off his face and then makes an attempt to kill a priest, [[CopKiller killing a police officer in the process]]. He then kidnaps a 14-year-old girl and buries her alive, demanding a ransom in exchange for her life. The girl is implied to have been raped by characters in the film and in a letter from Scorpio in which he claims she has "nice tits" and a mole on her thigh. When [[TheHero Harry Callahan]] arrives with the money, Scorpio strikes him down and reveals [[ILied that he was going to let the girl die anyways]]. The police find the girl, but are unable to save her life, finding her lifeless and naked. Scorpio's final gambit is to hold a school bus full of children hostage, planning to kill them all. Upon being foiled by Callahan, Scorpio threatens to shoot a young boy fishing. He finally attempts to shoot Callahan before being shot dead. [[DirtyCoward Cowardly]] and {{sadist}}ic, Scorpio provides a contrast with [[CowboyCop loose cannon cop]] Harry Callahan, who, despite his methods, ultimately aimed to give criminals apt punishments when the bureaucratic justice system wouldn't.

* MostWonderfulSound: Harry's gun firing. So much that it was used in ''Film/TheTerminator'' (Orion Pictures version), ''Film/DeathWish3'' (Paul Kersey's .475 Wildey Magnum), ''Series/YoungIndianaJones'', ''VideoGame/LethalEnforcers'' (the player's default gun), ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' (when the game tallies up the player's bomb stock), ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil1'' (Barry Burton's gun in the FMV intro), and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' (Mii Koryuji's Dragon Jewel rifle in the opening).