Harry Callahan - or Dirty Harry as he is known from the previous four movies in this series - is investigating a strange betting game. A list of local celebrities has been handed out, and bets are being taken on who will be the first to die. Things start to get interesting when the name 'Harry Callahan' appears on the list.
—Colin Tinto



After his court testimony puts a key mafia figure into San Quentin, Inspector Dirty Harry Callahan finds unwanted fame. Now it seems that every hired killer in town is after him. To make it worse, Homicide wants him to go public: Play nice with the press and work with new partner Al Quan. British horror film director Peter Swan, who is in town to film a video for drug-addicted rock star Johnny Squares, plays a game with his crew known as "The Dead Pool", where they each choose a set of 10 celebrities who they think will die before the game ends. The winner of the game is the one with most number of dead celebrities on their list. And the problems start when the people on Peter's list start to die under mysterious circumstances. Following the death of Johnny Squares, DirtyHarry learns of The Dead Pool. And Dirty Harry discovers that his own name is on the list. All fingers seem to point to Peter, mainly since the celebrities that are dying are the same as those on his list. Dirty Harry also has to contend with TV reporter Samantha Walker, who'd just love to do a big story on him, and her name is also on the list. DirtyHarry races to unmask the killer before Dirty Harry himself winds up on the losing end of this game.
—Todd Baldridge



Film director Peter Swan plays a game with his crew know as "The Dead Pool", wherein they each choose a set of 10 celebrities who they think will die before the game ends. The winner is the one with most number of dead celebrities. The problems start when the people on Swan's list start to die in mysterious circumstances. Harry is assigned to the case and discovers he is one of the names on Swan's list!
—Col Needham



A rock singer, Johnny Squares, who is also a drug addict is found dead of an overdose but there are signs that it was not accidental, so Harry is assigned to investigate. Initially Harry locks horns with Peter Swan, the man who directs the singer's videos. He also crosses paths with a television reporter, Samantha Walker and after being threatened with a law suit, the two of them form a rapport. Harry then discovers that Swan and several other people are playing a game called the dead pool, wherein they make a list of individuals, who are either in bad health or high risk professions, and turns out that Squares was on Swan's list and so are some other people who were murdered, and Harry's also on the list. And someone is following him.
—rcs0411@yahoo.com



After Harry's arrest of a gambling kingpin results in a conviction for murder, a group of thugs shoot up Harry's car and try to kill him. Harry overpowers them and is paired with a new partner, Insp. Al Quan. Within days of this assignment Harry and Al find themselves working on a mysterious death of a rock star, who was on location filming a movie directed by Peter Swan. After one of Swan's crew is killed in a Chinatown robbery that is foiled by Al & Harry, Al discovers a list of celebrities on the dead man that includes the dead rock star and one Inspector Harry Callahan. They soon discover that this is part of a strange game called the Dead Pool, and it isn't long before other people on the list turn up dead...and someone starts making attempts on Harry's life...
—Derek O'Cain



Dirty Harry Callahan must stop a sick secret contest to murder local celebrities, which includes himself as a target.
—Kenneth Chisholm





SYNOPSIS

For San Francisco veteran police detective 'Dirty' Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood), fame catches up with him when he testifies against crime kingpin Lou Janero (Anthony Charnota) which puts Janero into prison. One night, Callahan is attacked by Janero's men at a turnoff near the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge while driving his car. However, he knocks down one of the assassins with his car and shoots the remaining men dead before they finish their jobs. Afterward, Dirty Harry Callahan and his new Asian-American, martial arts-skilled partner Al Quan (Evan C. Kim) are assigned to investigate the death of rock singer Johnny Squares (Jim Carrey). The head of public relations in the department believes that Callahan's image will be improved if he's partnered with an Asian-American.

After slasher film director Peter Swan's (Liam Neeson) producer is killed in a Chinatown restaurant robbery which Callahan foils, Callahan discovers that he, together with Johnny Squares are part of a game in which participants try to predict the most celebrity deaths, presumably from natural causes or from those that work in dangerous professions, and in a turn of events, two more celebrities on the list are killed.

Consequently, Harry has to deal with the media, particularly reporter Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson), to balance their interference with the investigation against the public's right to know. She also proposes to do an in-depth profile on Callahan for her news report, while he wants to simply perform his job and stay out of the limelight. After one dinner meeting, they narrowly escape being killed by Janero's men in an elevator outside a restaurant, leading the reporter to reconsider the plight of police officers.

The following morning, Callahan drives to the prison where Janero is serving his sentence to meet with a chain-smoking, hulking inmate named Butcher Hicks. Callahan promises Hicks a carton of Camel cigarettes if he helps Callahan out. When Callahan reaches Janero's cell, he makes it clear to Janero that if something happens to him, then Butcher will pay him a visit and probably kill him (this results in Janero telling his men to make sure nothing happens to Callahan while he is on duty, even sending some bodyguards out to keep an eye on Callahan.)

Callahan helps resolve a situation where a man named Gus Wheeler (Louis Giambalvo), who is rumored to be responsible for the murders, tries to burn himself to get on the news so people will know the real him. In the end, it turns out that the real killer is a deranged former employee of Swan's, named Harlan Rook (David Hunt) who thinks all of his ideas and work have been stolen by Swan. It is also known that Swan had filed a restraining order against Rook a year before.

Next morning, Callahan and Quan are pursued through San Francisco's hilly streets in an unmarked squad car by a remote controlled bomb assembled by Rook, disguised as a radio controlled Corvette. The bomb explodes, nearly killing Quan who survives due to his bulletproof vest. Meanwhile, Rook, disguised as Swan, calls Walker at the television station to Swan's film studio to give her an interview, which is actually a trap. Soon after, Rook's home is raided by the police and torn posters of Swan's films are found.

Callahan then drives to Swan's film studio near the waterfront where Walker is held captive by Rook. Callahan reluctantly surrenders his .44 Magnum revolver to Rook when he nearly slits her throat. Walker and Callahan escape and Callahan lures him to a pier after a chase. Rook, who has run out of bullets, is shot by Callahan with a harpoon, killing him instantly.

As the film ends, Walker and Callahan are leaving the pier, while the police arrive at the scene.