Arnold Schwarzenegger’sRed Heatand Clint Eastwood’sDirty HarrysequelThe Dead Poolsquared off in 1988, but Arnie proved to be the loser. Much has been made ofthe Stallone and Schwarzenegger rivalryof the 1980s and 1990s, where the two stars often competed for who had the biggest muscles, explosions or bodycount.
On the flipside, Arnie had no rivalry whatsoever with Clint Eastwood, with the two s being on very different career tracks. They rarely had projecrs opening side by side, either, though it could happen on occasion. For instance,Last Action Heroand Eastwood’sIn the Line of Fireopened close to one another in the summer of 1993.
Whereas the PG-13Last Action Herowas one of Arnie’s first big bombs, the R-ratedIn the Line of Firegrossed $187 million (viaThe Numbers). So,not only did Clint’s film gross $40 million more than Schwarzenegger’s, it did so on about half the budget.
Arnold and Clint first dueled in 1988, when they both had gritty, R-rated action thrillers opening close to each other.Red Heatcast Schwarzenegger as a taciturn Russian police officer named Danko chasing a criminal to Chicago, while Eastwood’sThe Dead Poolwas the final entry in theDirty Harrymovie franchise.
Schwarzenegger Vs Eastwood!
Red HeatandThe Dead Poolopened within a month of each other in 1988, a time when Schwarzenegger and Eastwood were both on hot streaks. Arnie was fresh offPredatorandTwins, while Eastwood had fronted hits likePale Rider.
1971
1973
1976
1983
1988
Buddy Van Horn
Red HeatandThe Dead Poolhave plenty of similarities too, with both following tough cops with a fondness for bending the rules in search of results.Red Heathas its share of silly moments and over-the-top action, but on the whole,director Walter Hill gave theArnold Schwarzenegger action moviea grit thatThe Dead Poollacked.
In general,Red Heatis the more enjoyable film, even if certain elements like a male assassin dressing as a sexy female nurse haven’t aged gracefully. Hill knows how to shoot a propulsive action scene, he plays to Schwarzenegger’s strengths, anddespite being longer thanThe Dead Pool,Red Heatstill feels shorter.
Red Heat Poked Fun At Clint Eastwood’s Most Iconic Character
“Who is Dirty Harry?”
While Arnie’s rivalry with Stallone was genuinely tense during their heyday (they’ve since become best friends), Schwarzenegger has always loved Clint. Speaking withRotten Tomatoes, the star even labeled Eastwood’sUnforgivenas one of his favorite movies.
I always idolized [Clint] since before I came over to America. I loved his Western movies and followed his career very closely, then became friends with him and really admired him.
That’s whyRed Heatcontains some playful jabs at Eastwood’s most iconic character. When his Russian pistol is confiscated by Chicago police, Danko’s American partner Ridzik gifts him the “most powerful handgun in the world,” the .44 magnum. Danko dismisses this claim and stateshisgun is the most powerful, while Ridzik retorts thatDirty Harryuses a .44 magnum.
Danko then breaks the fourth wall and asks, “Who is Dirty Harry?“Even after gunning down his archnemesis with the .44 inRed Heat’sending, an unimpressed Danko still claims his other weapon is superior and dismissively hands it back to Ridzik.
DespiteRed Heattaking shots at itsDirty Harryrival in its marketing,The Dead Pooloutgrossed it with $39 million.Red Heatnabbed about $35 million in contrast, and was considered a disappointment by Schwarzeneggerafter coming off several hits.
If nothing else, the fifthDirty Harryjust proved that Eastwood’s star hadn’t dimmed with audiences. Still, the critical response was muted (it stands at 53% onRotten Tomatoes) and is considered one of weakest sequels in the franchise. Compared to the original,The Dead Poolfeels like an uninspired episode of a police procedural.
A young Jim Carrey plays a rock star who is the first victim of the titularDead Pool.
The sequel also followed in the footsteps of the previousDirty Harrymovie,Sudden Impact, which was a much bigger hit in 1983.The Dead Poolis entertaining in an undemanding way and features a very inventive car chase involving a toy car wired to explode, but it’s not one of Eastwood’s better efforts by any standard.
Clint never picked up the .44 magnum again
Eastwood has only fronted a handful of franchises, including theDollarstrilogy.Dirty Harrybecame his signature character throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but by the time the credits roll onThe Dead Pool, he seems ready to put the detective to bed for good.
It appearsin the aftermath ofThe Dead Pool’smiddling reception, Eastwood never gave serious thought toDirty Harry 6.He once mulled appearing in an open-world video game take on the character, while Dwayne Johnson was rumored to be the frontrunner of apotentialDirty Harryremakeduring the 2000s.
The Dead Pool just about beating out Arnie’s Red Heat is its only real accomplishment, and fans of Eastwood’s detective didn’t need another disappointing sequel from the series…
Eastwood signed off on traditional action roles with 1990’sThe Rookie(which famously employed more stuntpeople than actors), which underperformed. 1992’sUnforgivenmarked a new phase of Clint’s career too, one where he was more introspective regarding his screen image and age, and a sixthDirty Harrywasn’t going to fit that mold.
The Dead Pooljust about beating out Arnie’sRed Heatis its only real accomplishment, and fans of Eastwood’s detective didn’t need another disappointing sequel from the series.It’s hard to picture a reboot ever happening, for the simple reason that replacing Eastwood asDirty Harryis a borderline impossible task.
Source:The Numbers,Rotten Tomatoes,Rotten Tomatoes
Red Heat
Ivan Danko is a tough Russian cop who is forced to work alongside extrovert detective Art Ridzik. The pair investigate a major international criminal involved in drug trafficking who has fled Russia for the United States.
The Dead Pool
Cast
The Dead Pool is the fifth installment in the Dirty Harry series, directed by Buddy Van Horn. Clint Eastwood stars as Inspector Harry Callahan, who, alongside his partner Al Quan, investigates a series of murders linked to a morbid game predicting celebrity deaths.
