Let's face it, the Dirty Harry movies are not exactly "great" movies. The appeal here is the character. I mean, why else would Dirty Harry be #17 on the AFI's Top 100 Heroes & Villains list and yet not a single one of the films makes their list of the Top 100 American Films? This is a film series that did two things:

1. Created an iconic character
2. Introduced the world to the "rogue cop" genre

Everything you need to know about the Dirty Harry franchise is realized at the opening of the first film. Detective Harry Callahan sits down to have a hot dog and notices a bank is about to be robbed. He has the restaurant owner call the police and says, "Now, if they'll just wait for the cavalry to arrive." They don't wait and Harry is forced to abandon his hot dog and heads into action as a city block is destroyed and the baddies are left for dead. We are given the classic line even those that haven't seen the film even know ... this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful hand gun in the world ... I won't repeat the whole thing.

More important than all of this, however, is Clint Eastwood's stroll and swagger as he goes about his business. Eastwood plays Harry as cool and confident. Sure, he's a renegade cop, but you like him. You understand him. You feel for him. Dirty Harry creates a character in Harry that is far more complex than just about every copycat character you will ever see. However, much of what made him so unique in the first film was ultimately lost in the sequels.

In Dirty Harry, Harry is a cop that is questioning his lot in life. He's a loner and he doesn't seem to particularly enjoy anything more than taking down the bad guys. At the end of the film he tosses his badge into the water and we believe that may be the end of the line for the cop that does things his way. However, that wasn't the case.

Returning in 1973 we get a different Harry Callahan in Magnum Force, he teams up with Tyne Daly in 1976 with The Enforcer, takes on a bunch of crazies in 1983's Sudden Impact and then in 1988 he takes on Hollywood itself in The Dead Pool.

Don't get me wrong, there are some good films in here, but as far as the character that was created in Dirty Harry, that guy is lost in the sequels. For example, I never would have dreamed Harry would even date a woman we have Harry getting hit on in his apartment building as a young woman asks, "What does a girl have to do to go to bed with you?" Smiling, Harry says, "You could try knocking on the door." It's a great scene (especially once explained why it was done like this), but it makes me believe that between tossing his badge into the drink and getting hit on, Harry must have had his colon cleansed or something major because the carrot that was wedged up his ass was promptly removed and a different man is now on the streets. He's still a mean S.O.B., but it is not the same man.

To that effect, I actually think Magnum Force tops the original Dirty Harry as the best film of the bunch. The scene in which Harry is confronted in the dark by the rogue motorcycle cops is one hell of a great scene as you stare at the faceless villains, all of them wearing badges. It's quite powerful. Following Dirty Harry, the third best film in this collection has to be The Enforcer as it gets off to a rather bumpy start, but has a killer final act as Daly and Eastwood prove to be a very good onscreen duo to the point that you actually will believe that Harry could work with a female partner.

The Dead Pool probably comes in fourth in the group as we see Jim Carrey in some early work as he plays Johnny Squares. The movie isn't too bad and it is certainly a step above Sudden Impact, which, surprisingly, was directed by Eastwood. Sudden Impact suffers from the fact that the audience knows who the killer is the whole time and there is never any suspense where there should have (and could have) been. The script needed one or two more rewrites and it probably could have been a really good film, despite having one hell of a kill at the end. A massive harpoon to the upper torso can't feel good.

Beyond the films themselves this collection is chockfull of looks back at the Dirty Harry franchise as well as Eastwood.

The Dirty Harry disc (which is available on individual Blu-ray and 2-disc DVD) comes with the largest group of special features including an all new feature called "The Long Shadow of Dirty Harry" which takes a look back at the Dirty Harry legacy as well as an interview gallery with the likes of Patricia Clarkson, Hal Holbrook, John Milius, Andy Robinson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Urich and more. From what I can tell all of the interviews are new and I especially enjoyed hearing Schwarzenegger's matter-of-fact feelings on the Dirty Harry character, you can tell he is a true fan just as he is also interviewed on the Rambo Blu-ray.

Each disc comes with its own commentary track as well. Richard Schickel gives a lackluster commentary on Dirty Harry (I think boring and uninformative is the best description) , John Milius gives an equally uninspired commentary on Magnum Force, director James Fargo speaks over The Enforcer, Schickel is back on Sudden Impact and producer David Valdes and cinematographer Jack N. Green talk over The Dead Pool. The biggest problem is that with all the special features across the five disc set there isn't much for these folks to add, primarily since none of them are Clint Eastwood! Come on now! Clint gives new interviews all over this set, would it really have been too much trouble for him to at least give a commentary over Dirty Harry? Sheesh!

The featurettes across all five discs look at each of these films from just about every angle including acting, directing, music, editing, cinematography, etc. No stone is left unturned and, for the most part, the featurettes are kept nice and tidy. None of them overstay their welcome and there are even some vintage features for you to look back to the days of yore.

For those that buy this Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition of buy it on DVD you are also going to get a map of San Francisco that plots out the major points from Dirty Harry, some 5"x7" poster replications, a hard cover book that takes a look at each film giving you a body count, a famous quote and information on the killer(s) and Harry's partner for each film. Finally there is a silly little fake badge and Harry Callahan ID card.

Overall it is a very impressive set and a gift that I am sure any die-hard Dirty Harry fan would drool over. However, I don't think this is for everyone and I would recommend many of you buy these flicks piece-meal style. Certainly pick up Dirty Harry and Magnum Force. One film is fantastic for the character it creates and the other is just a magnificent film. Magnum Force is truly a genre defining feature and without either of these two films we would never have had films like Lethal Weapon to enjoy, which is exactly why Shane Black is all over these featurettes.

If you are new to the Dirty Harry franchise and you like those two films hit up The Enforcer next and if that suits you move to The Dead Pool and finally Sudden Impact if you feel you must.