Here I go again, reviewing a generic western in my generic, western-reviewing way.
Rio Bravo is another example of solid John Wayne western entertainment. It's basically good clean fun, with the badguys on one side wanting to spring one of their own from jail, and the Duke and a couple of sidekicks trying to stop them.
What makes this film stand out as memorable is essentially the characters. Dean Martin is great as the main deputy recovering from a drunken spell and finding his knack for firing a gun again. Ricky Nelson has a smaller role as a determined young kid, and Walter Brennan is simply wonderful as the crotchety old man. The Duke is naturally a powerful presence on screen.
These characters provide the entertainment, and there's plenty of action to help the film along the way as well. However, at two and a quarter hours, it is a little too long. There is a scene in the jail where Martin and Nelson show off their fine singing voices which is unnecessary to the plot. Similarly, the romance subplot between the Duke and Angie Dickenson doesn't exactly help the story along either. But then what kind of a western would this be without romance? A shorter one, sure, but also a lesser one. So basically it's as good as it can be, but with that quality also comes length. It seems to me as though that's the way it has to be.
It's a good romp, definitely worth seeing once and enjoyed. Don't expect a masterpiece and you'll leave with a smile on your face. **** / *****
Rio Bravo is another example of solid John Wayne western entertainment. It's basically good clean fun, with the badguys on one side wanting to spring one of their own from jail, and the Duke and a couple of sidekicks trying to stop them.
What makes this film stand out as memorable is essentially the characters. Dean Martin is great as the main deputy recovering from a drunken spell and finding his knack for firing a gun again. Ricky Nelson has a smaller role as a determined young kid, and Walter Brennan is simply wonderful as the crotchety old man. The Duke is naturally a powerful presence on screen.
These characters provide the entertainment, and there's plenty of action to help the film along the way as well. However, at two and a quarter hours, it is a little too long. There is a scene in the jail where Martin and Nelson show off their fine singing voices which is unnecessary to the plot. Similarly, the romance subplot between the Duke and Angie Dickenson doesn't exactly help the story along either. But then what kind of a western would this be without romance? A shorter one, sure, but also a lesser one. So basically it's as good as it can be, but with that quality also comes length. It seems to me as though that's the way it has to be.
It's a good romp, definitely worth seeing once and enjoyed. Don't expect a masterpiece and you'll leave with a smile on your face. **** / *****