Sure, it might not be quite the "essential" Steve McQueen, as a couple of his biggest hits are missing (you can rectify the situation by buying the other box set with The Great Evasion, Magnificent Seven and Thomas Crown affair). What this box set does though (unlike that other, more "greatest hits" type compilation) is give a nice overview of McQueen's career by telling the story behind it. "Never So Few" sees him at the beginning of his career as the freshfaced brash scenestealer, stealing the film from under Sinatra's nose as best he can. Cincinnati Kid finds him in his prime as a cocky upstart, reflecting his status in Hollywood at the time. Bullit finds him at his most iconic, even if the film has dated badly (and the pacing is still laborious). Getaway sees him entering the autumn of his career, giving him and Peckinpah a nice comeback and showing that both still 'had it' in 1973. "Tom Horn" is a flawed but often beautiful Western that sees McQueen at the end of his career and his life, as worn out as his character in this film.
Special features are mostly limited to the excellent docs on the Bullit bonus disc. Cinicinnati kid has a short featurette from the epoch, Getaway an audio commentary by the "Peckinpah posse" and a first reel "virtual" commentary by Peck, McQueen and MacGraw, which is essentially a fancy way of cobbling together some interview soundbites (as nothing is screen specific). The trailer advertised on the Tom Horn disc couldn't be found anywhere, though. Picture and sound quality is good.
For the price this is an absolute steal. You get a set without any true clunkers and some terrific films that convey the notion of what made McQueen the "king of cool".
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