The sequel to the box office hit “Every Which Way But Loose,” 1980’s “Any Which Way You Can” continues the adventures of traveling bare-knuckle brawler Philo Beddoe (Eastwood). With his pet orangutan Clyde in tow, Philo tries to leave his street fighting life behind when he realizes he’s growing addicted to the pain. This is derailed when mafia-backed martial artist Jack Wilson (William Smith) challenges Philo, with the mob hoping for a huge payout from a rigged fight. To complicate matters, Philo runs into his old flame Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke) and a biker gang that’s held a grudge against him for years.
This might be a hot take, but “Any Which Way You Can” is marginally better than its predecessor; a non-subtle hint to expect the preceding movie somewhere on this list. But the 1980 sequel features a much more exciting and visceral final bout, especially given how anti-climatic the first movie’s ending is. The sequel’s recurring gags are just as awkwardly delivered and run into the ground as the original, but at least the movie wisely puts a bigger spotlight on Clyde. Still a largely unfunny slog punctuated by decent fights and groovy ape, “Any Which Way You Can” put the final nail in the coffin for this two-movie series.