My impression was that this and McQ were attempts by John Wayne to be another Dirty Harry. He kicks in doors and says, "Knock knock." He threatens and beats information out of people. He's looking for a racketeer (John Vernon, the mayor from Dirty Harry) who fled to England when he was indicted in Chicago. Brannigan flies to the U.K. to bring him back but finds that he's been kidnapped.
The joke is that the British cops are so by-the-book and Brannigan is so tough and plays by his own rules. He carries a gun which he has no right to do in Britain. There's a barroom brawl that's like something from a western, people punching each other and breaking chairs over their heads without anyone being hurt or killed.
Draft dodger John Waye keeps claiming to have been in London during the war. Young people today don't seem to know that World War Two veterans hated John Wayne for staying out of the war.
There's kind of a romantic thing between John Wayne and a much younger English policewoman.
It was interesting to see England in the mid-70's but not with John Wayne walking around. Although, now that I think about it, I had a friend in high school who loved this movie.
McQ had a better ending. Filmed around Seattle, it had a car chase down a beach. The thrilling climax here is just John Wayne shooting at a Jaguar.
Free on Tubi.
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