Blu-ray Review – Badge 373

The grand success of 1971’s “The French Connection” took many by surprise. The thriller was pulled out of simple genre expectations by director William Friedkin, who delivered a powerful and occasionally lively study of an obsessive cop and his rough way of doing business. The feature wasn’t just an enormous hit, but also a respected one, collecting several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Producer/director Howard W. Koch and screenwriter Pete Hamill were soon sent into action to replicate the commercial and critical triumph of “The French Connection,” tasked with bringing another tale of NYC cop Eddie Egan and his war against crime to the big screen. 1973’s “Badge 373” isn’t officially connected to its 1971 inspiration, but the picture doesn’t want viewers to know that, moving ahead with a study of a driven lawman hunting for a top criminal around a volatile urban location. Instead of Gene Hackman, there’s Robert Duvall. And instead of nail-biting suspense and concentrated detective atmosphere, there’s pure sluggishness from Koch, who can’t find excitement or intensity with the overall slackness of “Badge 373.” Read the rest at Blu-ray.com