Brannigan

A Chicago police detective (John Wayne) travels to London to extradite a mobster (John Vernon).

Brannigan is a fairly routine, but nonetheless fun, 70s cop flick notable chiefly as one of the few “modern” films of star John Wayne’s later career.

This film, along with Wayne’s previous outing, McQ, were made after Wayne realized his folly in turning down the lead in the wildly successful Dirty Harry, and, as such, both are really Dirty Harry clones featuring Wayne dishing out his brand of justice while dealing with an uptight bureaucracy.

It’s a good fit for the Duke and he seems to take the role with just the right amount of salt, delivering most of his lines with a half-grin and a wink toward the audience.

The only problem is that the Duke looks tired. At 67 years old, Wayne’s age was catching up with him in a big way, and he seems haggard and perpetually short of breath throughout the film. While this look may have served him in a more serious picture, it doesn’t work in a popcorn action flick like this where Wayne looks like an old man playing a young man’s game.

Still, fans of the Duke will likely enjoy it, but others would do well to check out the real Dirty Harry instead.