The Gauntlet

'The Gauntlet' is an action thriller starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke. In the film, Eastwood – playing an unpopular 'Dirty Harry' kind of police officer – must escort a prostitute (Locke) to a trial, at which she is to be a witness. However, there are high- ranking officials in the police department who'd rather see Locke not make it to her trial, and so the duo soon become the county's most-wanted, and it transpires that the authorities will do anything to keep the cop and the prostitute out of court. They must tackle a number of increasingly deadly obstacles in their path, with police snipers, vengeful bikers, helicopters and drive-by shootings all serving to impede them. With these developments, it becomes apparent that 'The Gauntlet' isn't a film to be taken seriously; once this is acknowledged, the film is quite good. It isn't as nail-biting as 'Dirty Harry' or as solemn as 'In the Line of Fire', but 'The Gauntlet' still manages to entertain, albeit in a lighter, 'Mad Max' way. (I think that Eastwood attempted this with the film 'Coogan's Bluff', but I'd say that 'The Gauntlet' is the superior title.) The film is supported by some enjoyable and opportunistic cinematography, a lovable jazz score, and two surprisingly good performances. 'The Gauntlet' isn't really a title to be remembered, debated or written about, and if you approach it in consideration of what it is – a fun, 'Bullitt'-like action film with mature themes – you're likely to enjoy it.