Dirty Harry has a gun in his backyard!

Rating: 9/10 (9 June 2009)

It seems that nothing ever seems to stop Clint Eastwood from making movies as he already made two tragic masterpieces that earned Academy Award nominations for best picture (Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby); a two part war epic showing the point of view during the Iwo Jima battles between the Americans and the Japanese (Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima), and a mother searching for her son (Changling).
This time Eastwood returns to the directing and acting chair in "Gran Torino" about a Korean War veteran (Clint, as Walt Kowalski) who hates people of all races and creed that he barely smiles even in the first scene where his wife has passed away and doesn't show sorrow with the exception of hatred from his family who never visited him; treat him like a used tool only to be thrown away until next time. Walt's worst hatred is his own grandkids who don't show respect for the elders, God, or even offer to help him with anything while pondering about his question with death; his granddaughter, who dresses like a slut, asks if she could have his prized possession: A 1972 Gran Torino, as her reward when he dies.
If Walt's hatred of his family isn't getting worse, it's his new Hmong neighbors next door who move in next door leaving Walt to shame God even more despite the fact that where he lives has Asians. It's not until one day that the son next door tries to break in to steal his car as part of entering his cousin's pathetic gang. Walt lets him escape after a mess up, but it's not until the veteran saves the child and his family's lives when the gang tries to harass them. He's a hero to the community but Walt doesn't want to give in yet. But he does where he thinks of the Hmongs as his own family despite saying slurs and considers them as those he trusts in case something were to ever happen to him.
The film was overlooked at the Oscars for unknown reasons, even though Clint earned a nomination at the Critics Choice Awards. More people seemed to pay attention to "Slumdog Millionaire" where it won the Oscars and the hype of India and the rags to riches story died off later. But then again, the Oscars in Feburary were a big joke, despite the fact that there were better films of 2008 from "The Wrestler," "Wall-E," "Doubt," "The Dark Knight," including this film where Clint Eastwood can't be stopped no matter if he's directing or acting.