McKenna of the Mounted: A Familiar Ride

Is this thing worth a look?

If you have a soft spot for dusty 1930s B-westerns where the plot is thinner than a piece of parchment, then sure. It's essentially comfort food for people who like horses, bad guys in shadows, and men who talk in clipped, serious tones. If you’re looking for high-concept storytelling or something that’s going to surprise you, you might want to look elsewhere. It’s a very safe, very predictable ride.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of McKenna of the Mounted (1932) through its definitive frames.

Buck Jones is the main draw here, playing Sergeant Tom McKenna. He does that classic thing where he has to pretend to be a criminal to get the job done. It’s a trope I’ve seen enough times to make my eyes glaze over, honestly. It’s not quite as interesting as the setup in Bad Company, but it gets the job done.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of McKenna of the Mounted (1932) through its definitive frames.

The bits and pieces

• The "disgraced lawman" angle is so played out it’s basically a rite of passage for these actors.
• The vigilante leader character is so obvious that you’ll know he’s the bad guy within thirty seconds of him opening his mouth.
• The action scenes feel like they were choreographed in someone's backyard during a lunch break.

There is a weird lack of tension in the scenes where McKenna actually infiltrates the gang. You’d think the outlaws would be a bit more suspicious of a guy who just walked in off the street after getting kicked out of the Mounties, but they just shrug and hand him a gun. Talk about poor security protocols.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of McKenna of the Mounted (1932) through its definitive frames.

I found myself zoning out a bit during the long dialogue scenes. They lean pretty heavily on exposition to explain the "elaborate plan" to the audience, even though the plan is really just: rob stuff, get caught, win. It’s not exactly rocket science.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of McKenna of the Mounted (1932) through its definitive frames.

The horse work is solid, at least. Silver looks great on screen, which is honestly more than I can say for some of the human extras hanging around in the background. Some of them look like they’re just waiting for their check so they can head home. 🐎

It reminds me of the vibe in An Odyssey of the North, where the landscape almost feels like a character, but here the mountains are just... there. Just rocks and dirt and a lot of shouting. I kept waiting for someone to do something unexpected, but nope. Just straight down the line.

It’s not a bad way to spend an hour if you’re folding laundry or something. Don't expect to be glued to the screen, though. It’s perfectly fine, perfectly average, and perfectly forgettable. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.