Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The McKenzie Break Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 22, 2015

With war films, the battle between good and evil is often rigidly defined. 1970’s “The McKenzie Break” isn’t celebrating the bad guys, but it pays a considerable amount of attention to their sneaky plans. It’s “The Great Escape” in reverse, following the exploits of Nazi POWs in Scotland planning to tunnel their way to freedom. The only man who can stop them? Surprisingly, it’s Brian Keith, here portraying Irish officer Connor, who’d rather be seducing women and draining a flask than dealing with smug Nazis, led by Captain Schlueter (Helmut Griem).

Directed by Lamont Johnson (“Lipstick,” “Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone”), “The McKenzie Break” provides an interesting change of view, watching Schlueter and his captured men work out a highly organized routine of disruption in the camp, frustrating leaders who are bound to the terms of the Geneva Conventions, unable to punish the Nazis appropriately. Keith plays the reluctant veteran, a smart man with limited patience for games, yet he’s unable to crack Schlueter’s elaborate tunneling and escape plans. “The McKenzie Break” is largely devoted to the details of the dig and odd tricks employed to preserve the camp head count while men manage to sneak off the grounds. It’s partly procedural, with emphasis on brawny men snarling at one another, with Connor keeping a casual presence as he sniffs around for clues.

The McKenzie Break Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation does reveal its age, with colors not quite as potent, showing some fatigue. Skintones also run slightly ruddy. Period cinematography isn't concerned with sharpness, but a modest amount of fine detail is found with costuming and dramatic close-up, and some set decoration is open for inspection. Grain is heavy but rarely oppressive, providing filmic texture. Delineation isn't robust, but complete solidification is largely avoided, with the darker tunnel-digging sequences preserved adequately.

The McKenzie Break Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix also showcases age, offering a thick listening experience that's passable but never pleasurable. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible but retain a slightly muffled quality that mutes dramatic range. Group activity in enemy barracks hits a few crispy highs. Scoring is animated but never dynamic, only retaining life when carrying the film with necessary loudness. Atmospherics are tame, regulated to military bustle and tunnel activity. Grander displays of violence offer bluntness, not precision, though the general idea of mayhem isn't completely diluted.

The McKenzie Break Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (3:04, HD) is included.

The McKenzie Break Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The McKenzie Break" is aided by great performances, finding Keith and Griem well-matched as the cat and mouse. Johnson also stages engaging sequences of subterfuge, creating excitement with near-misses as Connor gets closer to Schlueter's plan. The picture is well-paced and periodically amusing, with laughs provided by Connor's general reluctance to take part in the investigation. It all leads to a slam-bang finale of chases and timing, which climaxes a simple B-movie with a necessary punch. "The McKenzie Break" doesn't have much, but it offers a reasonable sense of surprise.