McQ (1974)

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This is another cop film from the 70's, (probably the best decade for this genre). If you've seen Brannigan and enjoyed that, then you'll know what to expect. The plot is surprisingly cleverly worked out, the clues casually planted along the way and never given too much attention until they fall into place even if one of the villains among the boys in blue seems rather obvious. John Wayne plays McQ, a Seattle cop. When his friend, also a cop, gets killed McQ sets out to find his killers, and has no ethics about how he does it. As the plot leads him into the seedy underworld, (what 70's cop film doesn't) he quits the police force and becomes a private eye in order to catch and bring the killers to justice.This is by no means a great John Wayne action picture. It does, however, hold its own and hold interest. Wayne, as usual, take the high moral ground and refuses to compromise on what he believes to be right. Lettieri is a terrific villain, underplaying the menace, and there's a decent funky Elmer Bernstein score, but it's a solid film rather than an inspired one. Director Sturges creates an uncomplicated sense of flow, keeping the story moving along, using the backdrop of Seattle very well. Some parts that would normally seem slow (character development) are kept afloat by better than average performances by Watkins, Muldaur and Dewhurst, who, incidentally, doesn't do any skag. I liked the hot pursuit car chase sequences (there were three) not because they were car chase sequences, but thoughtfully done, well-planned, professionally shot, highly exciting car chase sequences. It may not have all the CGI special effects and fancy stuff newer movies have, but some of the best movies ever made were made before computers.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Regretting turning down Dirty Harry a few years earlier, John Wayne tries to make his own "cop who plays by his own rules" movie with this Swingin' Seventies thriller directed by John Sturges. Wayne plays McQ, a Firebird-driving tough-as-nails detective who investigates the killing of his friend and uncovers corruption in the police department. It's a part that would be a better fit for a younger man, but the same could be said for many of Duke's later film roles. He does a fine job with what the script gives him, which isn't much. He's backed up by a solid cast, most of whom are going through the motions. Colleen Dewhurst is a standout in her small role as a junkie bartender Duke sleeps with. The film owes a little to the Steve McQueen classic Bullitt. One can't help but wonder how much of that was intentional, given the name of the title character here. The action scenes are decent but the mystery elements are limp. It's dated, cheesy, and sometimes fun but never quite as much fun as you want it to be. It also goes on too long for its own good. Worth a look for fans of the Duke but it'll probably bore most viewers.

Originally turning down the role of 'Dirty Harry Callahan', Wayne was given another shot by Warner Bros. to play his first 'policeman' role in the legendary career.Not out of his league by any means, the Duke definitely fills the bitter seen it all lost my partners kill some drug dealers genre cop of the early 1970's.Not so much a rip-off of 'Dirty Harry' as a different take on the idea. Just as Eastwood's character was another take on 'Bullit'.The story moves along and doesn't skimp on much, definitely bring the popcorn and maybe one quick bathroom break.

Mr Wayne was 67 years old and suffering from "The Big C" when he made "McQ".Think about that for a moment.Ostensibly in "Denial",he must,in his most secret thoughts,had vivid visions of his own mortality, and it shows in the movie where,just occasionally,his eyes appear distracted,his mind momentarily elsewhere.This serves to add piquancy to a performance of sensitivity and intelligence from the twilight of the career of one of America's finest screen actors - no question. In this criminally underrated piece Mr Wayne works with many familiar faces old and new,some of whom were about to enter careers as bastions of the burgeoning industry of TV movie production. There are a lot of car chases,imaginatively photographed and superbly recorded ,that are as good as any in the genre.Mr Wayne exhibits self - deprecating humour,strength,compassion,vulnerability and confusion with consummate professionalism. Viewed with the benefit of a third of a century of hindsight "McQ" might seem quaint,corny and fearfully non - PC and it certainly isn't an immortal work of art,but judged - as it surely should be - by the criteria of its time,it's an exciting and entertaining movie with an excellent big star performance.