Product Description

Police lieutenant resigns from the force to track down some = big dope dealers involved in killing a couple of police officers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33070 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-05-03
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.com
After turning down the role of Dirty Harry, John Wayne made up for lost time by starring in this pretty-good 1974 police drama. Shot on location in a gritty pre-Microsoft Seattle, McQ finds John Wayne butting heads with fellow cops and local crime elements as he investigates the murder of a fellow cop and friend. Wayne is obviously a bit long-in-tooth to be taking on this kind of role, but the script allows for some decent character development, including Colleen Dewhurst in a brief but memorable role as a washed-up barmaid, and the action sequences by veteran director John Sturges still hold up well. For anyone who cares, a key drug-heist sequence was shot in the hospital that now houses Amazon.com's Seattle headquarters. --Kristian St. Clair

Customer Reviews

Dirty Duke
When John Wayne read the reviews of Dirty Harry that branded it a right-wing fascist diatribe, he must have said "Wow, what a great idea for a movie!", hence McQ -- his first attempt at a gritty, urban cop thriller and it's a classic guilty pleasure.

After John Sturges sets the table with a terrific opening sequence, settle back for Duke's Nixonian war on crime. He routinely beats suspects (or just smart mouthed "radicals") then flagrantly lies about it to his superiors -- something Harry Callahan would never have done. There's a cringe inducing scene where he strikes a genteel tableau with his women's libber ex-wife and her new husband and asks to borrow money. Perhaps best of all, he beats and robs a drug dealer for some coke to ply a drug-addicted stoolie with, then promptly takes her to bed. This scene is played with Colleen Dewhurst and her incisive acting contrasted with Duke's oblivious courtliness, make it almost painful to watch. (We see how Duke would behave after such a sleazy one-night-stand and we get the impression he may not have removed his clothes.)

Finally, he takes to the streets with some illegal firepower and there's a great beach chase. Classic stuff. (Although you may worry as you watch Wayne's huge, aged and bewigged frame as he struggles to get in and out of his bitchin' Trans-Am.)

Elmer Bernstein brings da funk in his jazzy score.

"John Wayne at his best"
I enjoyed this immensely! I loved the fact that John Wayne drove a powerful trans am that was black, low to the ground and had an engine that roared. At first it didn't seem like John Wayne, but he captured the role, and made it believable. His character was a maverick of sorts bucking heads with his superiors, (sort of a Dirty Harry type), and had to deal with, not only the punks on the street, but crooked cops, so the story was interesting. You'll get plenty of action, and good drama.

I recommend this film.


John

1 Year before I was in Seattle
1974 McQ was shot in Seattle...mabe late 1973....but I just had to see all the locations where it was shot locally after the movie came out. I forced my parents to find that exellent freeway street run-off scene, and I have a picture from 30 years ago standing at the very scene location.

I really only liked it for it's music originally before I discovered it was filmed in my new town. I became even a bigger fan of the movie after I got my drivers license...drining along the docs looking for a visual scene from the movie. But my best scene was the beach scene where the run along the beach at high speeds.

Damn if 5 years later I re-created my own high spped chase at 70 miles an hour up the same beach!! It was so cool!! But '65 Impalas not equipped for runs in the sea are quick to choke....belive me...I had a whole lotta explaining to do! But I'm damn glad I did it.

Maybe next time someone could help me film it?...lol.

I'm an amature videographer now. But at least i have film now!!.

It's an excellent movie and John Wayne cannot compare to Bullitt McQueen, or any other film at that time. John Wayne is John Wayne, no one will ever fit his shoes again. Oh, you can compare the styles of movies at the time...sure. They were all alike. Revengefull cops forced out of the police department seeking vendgance.

But theirs only one John Wayne and one Clint Eastwood battleing for good vengenge cops during this time frame.

Each have exculded very excellent performances (from excellent directors).

But I go for McQ more for the soundtrack quality and editing for storyline. I absolutly think that if I only had to see any movie once in my lifetime...it would be McQ. It's not vengence so much as it is about justice.

I'm in favor of getting the bad guy. Columbo comes in a close 2nd. Oh...and Yes...CSI LV is my best current TV show.