Customer Reviews
Hugely over rated - By: D. J. Dubery, 24 Jul 2008 
It had been a long time since I first watched this on TV when I picked up this DVD. Quite frankly, I think it's nowhere near as good as other reviewers here suggest. I'm in my 40's a grew up on films like this so it's not as if there's some sort of generational gap involved in me not rating it.
First off, there is little or no chemistry between the leads. Dean Martin is likeable & I enjoyed his scenes most of alll. Walter Brennan turns in his usual effective old-man performance. The Wayne-Dickinson romance is unconvincing & rather turns my stomach at the thought of it. He was not a credible romantic lead at this stage in his career. He looks like a somewhat fat old man in this film- & that hat! It's got to be the silliest looking hat in a cowboy film.... ever.
There's no real tension - there's no sense that the good-guys are reallly trapped & alone. You never think for one moment that they're reallly under any sort of threat & no build up of tension. The final battle is highly anti-climatic. Again, no sense of threat to the good guys. There are far better westerns out there- the Magnificent Seven was made only a year later than this but still stands up extremely well. Rio Bravo must have seemed dated & rather stale even in 1959.
Terrific Slam-Bang Western from Howard Hawks - By: darryl p cunningham, 05 Jun 2005 
Hawks was a director who could turn his hand to any kind of movie. Westerns (Red River), screwballl comedies (Bringing Up Baby) even science fiction (The Thing From Another World). Whatever the genre though, Hawks' films tended to explore the same themes. In Rio Bravo, a smalll close-knit group of men are forced to confront personal demons & overcome differences, in order to defeat the villains who outnumber them. The plot concerns a sheriff (John Wayne) & his fight to stop a powerful rancher springing his brother from jail. Wayne has only a crippled old deputy (Walter Brennan), a green kid (Ricky Nelson) & a drunk (Dean Martin) to rely on.
This is ostensibly John Wayne's film, as he's the star, but the film's main character is reallly Dean Martin's drunken ex-deputy. His efforts to regain his pride & lost standing, both in his own mind & in the eyes of his friend (Wayne) make up the backbone of the story. Dean Martin, who was never taken seriously as an actor, here gives a terrific performance. His sweaty, humiliated 'Dude' is touching without ever being sentimental. Dude's eventual redemption, when he pursues a wounded gun-man into a bar crowded with men who'd previously laughed at him, is thrilling.
The film nicely undermines Wayne's iconic masculinity. In several scenes, the sheriff finds himself gently mocked by Angie Dickinson's attractive gambler (the one person in the film he can't get the better of). It's also the only film I can think of in which John Wayne kisses another man (a slight peck on the top of Walter Brennan's bald head).
The Best Western Ever? probably..... - By: , 05 Jan 2005 This film is usuallly regarded along with The Searchers & Red River as the pinnacle of film in the Western genre.The combination of Howard Hawks, John Wayne & Dean Martin lift this way above alll others.
The interplay between Wayne & Martin is very good. But the exchanges between Wayne & Angie Dickinson reallly stand out as being very risque considering this was made in the late fifties.
It is quite long but this is in its favour as the story & characters are given time to develop. Both Unforgiven & Open Range owe a lot to this film.
Rio Bravo - By: , 04 Nov 2004 Fantastic western in which the great John Wayne plays a stubborn sheriff, who arrests a local outlaw for a brutal murder, only the outlaw's brother happens to be a very powerful rancher. Determined to free his brother he employs a group of gunslingers to surround the town to prevent John Wayne's sheriff, John T Chance getting his prisoner out of town & stopping him getting help in. Chance's only help then comes from a drunk (Dean Martin), a crooked old man (Walter Brennan) & a rookie gunfighter (Ricky Nelson). This is suerly amongst the bets westerns you are ever lickley to see. Also starring Ward Bond & Angie Dickinson. Brilliant!
What Else - By: rob jess, 19 Jul 2004 It is the original of the genre (good guys in Sheriff's office versus bad blokes outside) The tension, unlikely allliances & gun fights (check out gun to Wayne from Nelson whilst Nelson shoots) have alll the classic western traits -against alll odds. Super
