Rating: 
Summary: Maybe The Duke's best
Review: John Wayne gives probably his most endearing performance as Sheriff John T. Chance. "T, for trouble" said Angie Dickinson, Wayne's love interest in the film, and one of the few women who was ever able to stand up to Duke on the silver screen. Dean Martin's performance as "Dude" Chance's drunken deputy, makes me cheer everytime I watch the movie. Obviously, Walter Brennan's performance as the old cripple is unparalleled, and his comic relief adds to the genuine enjoyment of this movie. Ricky Nelson is good as the cocky young gunslinger who's out to make a name for himself, although sometimes it seems like his role was simply thrown into the movie to give it more of an appeal to younger viewers.If you want a great western with drama, humor, romance, and action, look no further than Rio Bravo. I would have to say that this is my favorite John Wayne film, although El Dorado and True Grit both run a close second. A film for western fans and non-western fans alike. No larger-than-life heroes, even with the presence of Wayne, but the bad guys sure make you hate them. Rent it today!
Rating: 
Summary: Let's mosey on down to the saloon for a dry martini...
Review: Dean Martin? Ricky Nelson? Angie Dickinson? Must be some Vegas caper flick--but no, it's a Western! Well...
John Wayne at his most self-righteous, a totally unconvincing supporting cast (although Walter Brennan makes an exemplary grizzled old sidekick, whoda thunkit)--this flick was a nail in the Western's coffin, not one of the great ones.
One positive thing: this was remade as the way better "El Dorado" (try Robert Mitchum and James Caan instead of Dino & Ricky, for starters).
Rating:
Summary: The complete deal
Review: Rio Bravo is a complete movie experience, drama, humor, romance, music, a real plot and it is carried off with ease. The cast is superb and the settings are great. Dude, Stumpy and Colorado are a great support team for JW and Angie Dickenson is great as Feathers the romantic interest. At 141 minutes it is a long movie but you won't realize it until the afternoon or evening is gone before you know it. This movie is now my 9 year old daughter's favorite and she is relentless in choosing it when she gets the chance.
Rating:
Summary: A film that stays always so true to the characters
Review: Howard Hawks is known, alongside with John Ford, the best director that teamed with John Wayne (among other greatness, ofcourse). Wayne teaming with Wayne had left such a rich cinematic legacy it's hard to believe RIO BRAVO is in fact only the second time Wayne acted under Hawks' direction, and it was a decade after their highly appreciated adult western RED RIVER. One of the virtue of Hawks' direction at its best is that he always stays true to the characters--RIO BRAVO should be noted as the best example of this cinematic virtue. In the era of subversive westerns, where "heroes" are not heroes anymore but vulnerable to their violent instinct and tormented with their own masculine agressiveness, obsessed with their desire of revenge (Wayne had portrayed that masterfully in John Ford's THE SEARCHERS), here, Hawks dare to portray Wayne as a typical, macho, partiarchal and authoritative sherif John T.Chance, always sure of himself... or he seems to be... or he thinks he is. Withiout making him rediculous or whatever, preserving his authoritative presence, Wayne and Hawks has succeeded to reveal the very limitations of this typical hero as a human being. As much as his ability as gun fighter being rather bigger than life, the clever screenplay (by Jules Furthman and Lee Brackett) reveals that he's very human, that infact that he's not always right. As a matter of fact, Chance makes so many mistakes and missjudgements he would have never survived without all the help of his friends, helps that he initially refuses because he thought he was good enough to protect them and don't want to involve them in the danger he's risking. Helps that he orderd not to take place... For instance, for the final shootout, Chance orders Stampy (Walter Brennan) not to take part. He refuses the help of the hotel owner (Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez)... well, what will they do? Especially, the character of Feathers (Angie Dickinson), whom Chance initially disregard as being no good, a tramp, but neverthless falls in love with her... Chance does not admit openly but in fact he knows he has to admit, that she is indeed a vertuous woman and that he was wrong. He alwasy ask her to take the stagecoach and leave, but she stays, and even saves his life. Hawks plays around with the very idea of masculinity (glorified by so many westerns) and the macho male-female order, and this is achieved by staying alwasy so true to his characters: the plot, the masterful camera setups, the subtle use of colors, the natural acting style of the actors which is so filled with a sense of true life, all contribute to show who those people are. Without any pretention, RIO BRAVO can be read as one of the most justified criticism of the idea of western, because when you see these people as humans, there would necessary be their human dignities and their human limitations revealed at the same time. And you'll love them for both their virtues as well as their flaws included. Hawks takes a mythic genre of action and adventure, and make it so familiar, almost as if those "heroes and the heroine" are your buddies. I should also note about the amazing performance of Dean Martin as Dude, an ex-top gun fighter turned drunk, trying to regain his dignity, and the always hillarious Walter Brenann at his very best. It's a great film to have on DVD and run its whenever you want, because you'll never get tired of it. That what great entertainment is supposed to be. One is reminded of a scene in Martin Scorsese's WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR, where Harvey Keitel takes his girlfriend to see this movie. She likes the Angie Dickinson character and he disregard her opinion, saying that she's not a respectful woman. Of course he's wrong; it's the girl who got the idea of this great movie right.
Rating:
Summary: Spec-tac-ular!
Review: Whenever I come across a slice of movie perfection such as Rio Bravo, I always wonder, "Why don't they make movies like this anymore?" This film is nothing short of spec-tac-ular! As always, John Wayne is solid and dependable as the town sheriff fighting off a band of ne'er-do-well's in a small Western town (Hmmmm...where have I *seen* that before?). But it's Dean Martin's performance as Dude, the recovering town alcoholic that'll knock your socks off. This fella can act! It's his performance that really carries the movie. Way to go, Dino!
Rating:
Summary: Hawks and the Duke come up with their own "High Noon"
Review: Director Howard Hawks made 1959's "Rio Bravo" because he refused to believe the citizens of a Western town would refuse to help their sheriff protect the town as happened in 1952's "High Noon." So when John Wayne's character of Sheriff John T. Chance needs help in Tucson, Arizona to keep the brother of the local bad guy in jail, he is able to whip up support in the form of his former deputy Dude (Dean Martin), just coming off a two-year bender, Stumpy (Walter Brennan), an ornery old cripple, and Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson), a young gunslinger. To add a touch of elegance to the proceedings is Feathers (Angie Dickinson), who knows how to wield a razor and provides the Duke with a little bit of romance. Even though the bad guys capture Dude so they can exchange him for the jailed man, Chance and his comrades are able to save the day, with a little help from some dynamite. "Rio Bravo" is a significant western in movie history for two reasons. First, this classic film marks the end of the psychological westerns such as "High Noon" and "Shane" which had dominated the 1950s. The point of "Rio Bravo" was to provide entertainment and that it certainly does. Second, it added elements of humor to John Wayne's on-screen persona for the first time. For the rest of his career, most movies with the Duke will find his character having a humorous side (e.g., "McClintlock"). As you can well imagine, there is some singing to be done in "Rio Bravo." Martin does the title tune, sings "My Rifle, My Pony, and Me" with Nelson, who in turn gets to sing Cindy with Brennan. Wayne does not do any singing. In 1967 Hawks and Wayne essentially remade "Rio Bravo" with their film "Eldorado," with Robert Mitchum, Arthur Hunnicutt and James Caan providing the support. While I consider it an enjoyable film, in does suffer in comparison to the original.
Rating: 
Summary: DVD quality
Review: Great movie. DVD could stand some polish. Picture very nice, but the sound is spotty. Couple of words chopped off, and some lip synch problems early. Glad someone else noticed it too in their review, or I'd wonder if it were my player. Problems not bad enough to distract. Except for the very picky.
Rating:
Summary: My Pony, My Rifle, and Me
Review: Movie Summary: John T. Chance (Wayne) holds the murdering brother of a powerful rancher in jail awaiting the federal marshal. Chance refuses to release him in the face of overwhelming odds. His only help are a drunk and a crippled old man. My Opinion: This is an awesome movie and one of the best westerns (not the hotel) of all time. Wayne, Martin, Brennan, Nelson, and Dickinson all give great performances. Even though the movie is long, it is tight and seems a lot shorter than its 141 minutes. Dean Martin is just perfect as the washed up Dude trying to make a new start. Colorado has to be one of the coolest character names in a western just edging out Mississippi in El Dorado. DVD Quality: The picture is good. The sound seemed to cut off the end of a few words a couple of times. Extras include the trailer and a cast and crew summary. It's 1.85 anamorphic so that makes it worth the price right there. What You Should Do: Find it for less than ... and buy it. You're going to watch it more than once so it's not worth renting.
Rating:
Summary: Rio Bravo on DVD!
Review: At last we have RIO BRAVO on DVD and it looks and sounds great! Others will discuss the film's merits. I'll just say this is one of the best westerns ever made and solid entertainment with Howard Hawks deftly directing an ensemble cast headed by Wayne in his prime. The 1.85 widescreen anamorphic image is thankfully preserved and looks clean and sharp. Overall, the color of this 1959 film looks very good indeed. In some interior scenes the colors appear slightly muted, but it fits. The sound is clear. Deano and Ricki's songs sound great. This is a keeper. Hats off to Warner! Now if only they'd give us THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY on DVD!
Rating:
Summary: A real western
Review: This is John Wayne. You can spot the formula and most of his supporting actors for other John Wayne movies. O.K. you can also see that it is a Howard Hawks' movie. Dean Martin plays himself as Dude. And Ricky Nelson as Colorado Ryan really fits in this movie. You know the story. Good guys are holding baddy in the jail. All his compadres want him out. It is up to the town characters to prevent this from happening. How this is done or not done is the movie. The only thing this movie needed to be perfect is black and white hats.
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