The Dead Pool (1988) review

The fifth (and last) entry in the Dirty Harry series rehashes components from the previous four: Inspector Callahan (Clint Eastwood) is scolded over destroying police property, he's assigned Al Quan (Evan C. Kim) as his new partner, he becomes romantically involved with TV reporter Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson), has his life threatened by the mob and then has to figure out who's been killing various celebrities in the Bay Area based a morbid "game" that was supposedly started by horror director Peter Swan (Liam Neeson).  This feels considerably "cheaper" and sillier than any of the movies that preceded it: none other than Jim Carrey hams it up in a brief appearance as a drug addicted rockstar, Neeson's cranky filmmaker seems a little too serious about making junky slashers, the actual villain uses remote-controlled toy cars to blow real vehicles up, and then a psychiatrist conveniently pops in to "diagnose" the killer (he's a schizophrenic film buff!).  Musician Lalo Schifrin returns once again to provide the tacky soundtrack although it's cool to hear snippets of "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses ... and the only consistent element to it is Eastwood himself, with his hair thinning but his jaw permanently clenched and his squint just as menacing as ever.