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The Dead Pool

Play trailer Poster for The Dead Pool R 1988 1h 31m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
53% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In the fifth installment of the Dirty Harry series, gritty cop Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is fresh off the conviction of a major mob boss. When horror film director Peter Swan (Liam Neeson) develops a "dead pool" betting on celebrity deaths, he is shocked when a serial killer begins targeting those named, including TV reporter Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson) and Callahan himself. Action and violence abound as Callahan tracks the killer in an attempt to stop the murders.
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The Dead Pool

The Dead Pool

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Critics Consensus

While it offers its fair share of violent thrills and tough wit, The Dead Pool ends the Dirty Harry series on an uninspired note.

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Critics Reviews

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Henry Sheehan Chicago Reader 05/11/2022
2/4
It is perfectly adequate, in fact. It is just that adequate should not be good enough for Clint Eastwood. Go to Full Review Odie Henderson House Next Door 07/12/2013
It probably wasn't wise for the filmmakers to end Dirty Harry's reign with Eastwood uttering a post-killing line more suited for Stallone or Schwarzenegger, but from an entertainment standpoint, The Dead Pool doesn't leave one **** outta luck. Go to Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
3.5/4
The best thing about The Dead Pool is the best thing about almost all of Clint Eastwood's movies: The film is smart, quick, and made with real wit. It's never just a crude action movie, bludgeoning us with violence. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 12/29/2021
2/5
...easily the worst film in the franchise, with a perfunctory climax and only a couple of passable lines... Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 12/16/2021
2.5/4
It's difficult to determine whether The Dead Pool is a desperate attempt to extend the franchise or a smart parody of cop films that have come before it; either way, there's enough to enjoy in this increasingly silly film. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 08/31/2020
4/10
It feels as if the writers have completely run out of ideas for utilizing one of the most popular vigilantes in cinema history. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jason H @RT50328122 3d Terrible final entry in the Dirty Harry series. See more Rehan T @RT81460504 05/05/2025 It was alright. A nice one time watch. Could be better story... See more thiago s @Thiagostone 11/17/2024 filme legalzinho, o roteiro é bacana, o elenco focou muito melhor do que os outros filmes, Clint Eastwood ainda é muito bom como Harry Callahan, mas agora o Harry Callahan persegui um matador/roteirista de filmes dentro do filme, nesse filme sendo o ultimo do Harry Callahan, eu achei que ele ia morrer no final, desta vez Harry Callahan não perseguiu ninguem, e agora ele tem um parceiro homem, que é japones, mas agora o parceiro dele não morreu, e ainda colocacam a musica welcome to the jungle do guns n´roses, no final do filme eu gostei, o Harry Callahan usou um arpão gigantesco e matou o roteirista de filmes, mas mesmo com isso eu recomendo esse filme. o ultimo da franquia dirty harry. See more Sams K @RT65506530 08/23/2024 I love this. Also some easter eggs for GNR fans... See more Aender S @RT01933294 04/16/2024 The worst of the Dirty Harry movies. See more Alec B @Alec97 02/20/2024 What a silly note for this series to end on (there are remote control car bombs, metacommentary, and a Chekhov's harpoon gun) but given how dour the previous entries often were, perhaps they just wanted to have some fun? In any case its a bit of a mess that doesn't really earn a lot of what it tries to do in the finale. See more Read all reviews
The Dead Pool

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Cast & Crew

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Buddy Van Horn

Director

Clint Eastwood

Insp. "Dirty" Harry Callahan

Patricia Clarkson

Samantha Walker

Evan C. Kim

Insp. Al Quan

Liam Neeson

Peter Swan

David Hunt

Harlan Rook

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The Dead Pool

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the fifth installment of the Dirty Harry series, gritty cop Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is fresh off the conviction of a major mob boss. When horror film director Peter Swan (Liam Neeson) develops a "dead pool" betting on celebrity deaths, he is shocked when a serial killer begins targeting those named, including TV reporter Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson) and Callahan himself. Action and violence abound as Callahan tracks the killer in an attempt to stop the murders.
Director
Buddy Van Horn
Producer
David Valdes
Screenwriter
Steve Sharon, Durk Pearson, Sandy Shaw Lai-King, Steve Sharon
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$37.8M
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Surround