Brannigan (1975)

Fortunately, John Wayne had two vastly more interesting feature films (Rooster Cogburn and The Shootist) left in him following this disposable, leaden 1975 fish-out-of-water story. Wayne phones in his performance as a Chicago cop, Jim Brannigan, whose hunt for a fugitive in London is mostly an excuse for cross-cultural conflicts and comedy. Richard Attenborough adds local color as a Scotland Yard detective who partners with the Duke, and Judy Geeson plays a lovely, liberated constable who won't brook Brannigan's ingrained sexism. The by-the-numbers script is more pacifying for diehard Wayne fans than exciting to everyone, and the film looks embarrassingly ornamental with its naked display of touristy backdrops. Still, Brannigan is a slick tribute to the staying power of an American icon. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

Putting the UK in Duke

Wayne's second try at following Clint's lead from the sagebrush to a modern urban setting is basically a retread of Coogan's Bluff and it's not bad. There are still some right-wing complaints about civil liberties, but the tone is more amiable than McQ. Everything's pretty diverting until we get to the drawn-out "funny" bare-knuckle brawl that doesn't work here any better than it did a few years earlier in The Undefeated. June 26, 2008

Not one of the better films...but it IS the Duke!

Well, I'm a big John Wayne fan. He was and remains one of the great American icons. Brannigan is not a great film, although one of his final films; it is a necessary addition to complete one's collection. But don't blame the Duke: the writing is bad, the direction is poor, the editing is mediocre and the story is a bore. Yes, the Duke is very old, but he is still great. It's just a poor movie. 'McQ' is far better all around. Look at 'Brannigan' as a film trip to Joly Ol' England with John Wayne. June 9, 2008

Brannigan

Happy to find this Good & Humious story for a hard Cop from the States In England. It is a good addition to my John Wayne Collection. November 28, 2007

Pure entertainment

From the time I saw Brannigan in the theaters as a kid, through a number of chances to watch it again over the years, it has been one of my favorite movies. I grew up with the crime dramas of the 1970s, had little patience for Westerns, and am sorry John Wayne had so little time left to make detective movies. His other police drama, McQ, was trying so hard to imitate other "gritty" characters and films, was so formulaic, artificial, confusing, dreary, stiff, heavy-handed, and cliché, that these elements crowded out Wayne. Not so Brannigan.

Wayne shined. He was natural and utterly comfortable and convincing in the role. He was likable, frank, good-natured, decent, down-to-earth, and tough -- "so damn solid," as Geeson's character put it (to which he replied, "Fat, you mean") in a nice, genuine scene where Brannigan talked about wanting to catch the hood responsible for killing his rookie partner because it was his duty to protect the kid even though, no matter how "nice a story" it would make if the kid had been like a son to him, he had not even liked the "smart-aleck" kid. Wayne had terrific, commanding screen presence. He looked as fit and acted as vigorous as called for by the role. Suggestions in other reviews that he was "too old" or "too fat" are nonsense. The mature cast is a pleasant contrast to today's rampant superficiality.

All of the supporting actors -- Attenborough, Geeson, Ferrer, Vernon, Pilon -- were real professionals who similarly brought substance to their roles and played them smoothly and effectively. The characters were nicely sketched. For example, Attenborough's titled Scotland Yard official was not a caricatured fop or dandy; he was polished but also appreciated rough, direct action to get the job done, which created a nice grudging rapport between him and Brannigan. Both the policeman and the hit-man were portrayed effectively in this movie, with the policeman actually outsmarting and outmaneuvering the hit-man in believable ways. The story had action, energy, purpose, and humor. The dialogue was smart, and the plot interesting, with some clever touches. The photography and music made it all the more enjoyable.

This is a fun, smart, well-paced, well-produced detective story with a good plot, well-drawn and well-cast characters, and good locations. The movie is excellent entertainment. As such, I could not recommend it more highly. Reviewers who apparently failed to watch the film on its own merits and have nothing to offer but pseudo-sophisticated, overly general, cheap-shot criticisms do not do it justice. March 27, 2007

DON'T MESS WITH THE DUKE !!

John Wayne fans won't be disappointed with "Brannigan".This movie is a great way to spend an afternoon in front of the television.The video transfer and digital 2.0 sound are very good.The picture is in widescreen and it's a pretty clean video transfer with some minor blemishes here and there.The sound is also better than I expected.The dvd doesn't have any extras other than the original theatrical trailer,so it's bare bones release.Brannigan is full of great action and a very affordable release from MGM Studios.Another John Wayne movie called "McQ" from 1974 is available on dvd and definitely worth a look.I hope this review was helpful. December 17, 2006

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