Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11614 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-02
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• ESRB Rating: Teen
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.com
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

Customer Reviews

Wayne is game as a cop on the case in London
Good movie overall. There something to be said about these gritty '70's cop films, with the grainy look, dated scores, and often hard to follow dialogue and story lines. John Wayne jumped into this "dirty harry" genre with this and McQ, with marginal success. Wayne is nearing 70 by this time, and in many ways looks it. He brings charm and style to any role he graces, but looks surpirsingly tired and worn out here. Perhaps his declining health had something to do with it, promting questions as to why he kept on working when so many others of his era had retired. He should have retired with True Grit, although his brave performance in The Shootist was a fitting swan song to the career of the finest actor America ever produced. There will never be another John Wayne.

John Wayne Goes British
Like McQ, John Wayne plays a police detective in this film. He is his trademark, tough as nails, no nonsense, "I'll do it my way" kind of character but there is a difference. This one is more enjoyable.

He plays a cop from Chicago. His arch nemesis is a mobster and is just about to be brought down when he flees the country to London. Wayne is sent there to bring him back under an extradition treaty. Problems arise when Wayne is just about to get his prisoner from Scotland Yard and the prisoner is kidnapped. That leaves the Chicago PD and Scotland Yard both with egg on their face. Both want the prisoner back but they have very different styles of getting the job done.

Scotland Yard tends to be very civil about such things. They don't even like having John Wayne around let alone his revolver. Wayne prefers the direct approach. Find a bad guy and MAKE him talk. Eventually, it is a blend of both styles that brings the perp to justice but there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. The kidnapper lead the police on several wild goose chases and they are not who they appear to be.

The only one who can be taken at face value is John Wayne's character. He says what he means and backs it up with bullets or a swift punch. Judy Geeson makes for a sweet sidekick for him along the way.

The Wayne character is a constant. Thankfully, it is constantly enjoyable.

Overlooked period piece.
This movie has to be viewed more than once before the story line nuances become completely evident, even though it is somewhat a conventional cop movie, circa mid 1970s. There are some Anglo-American cultural differences that are strangely over played and highlighted, but the Duke is still the Duke and the story moves well through London. The fundamental plot line of a tough Chicago cop going to London to extradite a hood is actually believable, even though the final results are somewhat soiled by some over directing, ala mid'70s. "Brannigan" is a reflection of the times in which it was made. Minor role for Tony Robbins "Baldrick" (sp?) of the "Black Adder" series.