Film 30 (9/23/2005)

Rio Bravo (1959)

Director: Howard Hawks

Recommended by: Steve Magnum

Has Fentablar seen this before?: No.

Through the first few minutes of Rio Bravo, I found myself saying "this seems so cliche and cookie-cutter; I'm not sure I'm liking this". Then I realized that films like Rio Bravo are the originators of much of that which we now consider cliche and cookie-cutter. After realizing this, it was much easier for me to just sit back and enjoy the film...

...which turned out to be one of the more fun-filled movies I've seen in a while. With smatterings of light-hearted, funny moments amongst the good ol' shoot-em-up John Wayne style scenes, Rio Bravo is an enjoyable experience. I just love how Chance (John Wayne) seems so nonchalant about everything, even when he is a dire situation, seemingly at the mercy of the bad guys. Let alone having Dean Martin play an alcoholic - nice touch.

The film is by no means a masterpiece, but it is still good and worth a viewing by those capable of not taking films "too seriously". This is not a Sergio Leone western, but a good piece of classic American cinema.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Plot Effectiveness: 4/5. A decent character study, and very fun.

Cinematography/Shot Selection: 4/5. Decent, but certainly not to the level of Leone-type mastery.

Overall Acting: 4/5. Good work all around. I was most amused by Walter Brennan's performance as Stumpy. "Nobody asked me if I need a drink - well, I do!"

Score/Soundtrack: 4/5. Classic.

OVERALL RATING: 4/5

~Fentablar~