Florian Gabriel I have seen some western films that were released during the 20th and 21st century and I have to say this one is in my top 3 westerns ever made !Amazingly, it is very different from the other western films from those years and I am saying that because it has some thrilling moments...Why is it not rated as a thriller ??? Why ??? Maybe you will laugh at me, but yes, I think it is also a thriller.Story-line, cast, plot, film editing, sound track, they are all perfectly done for 1959 and this is why I rated it with 10. A masterpiece of the 1950s.If you are a western enthusiast, I strongly recommend you to watch it, you will thank me later.

bigverybadtom This Western movie works in large part because of the interaction of the main three characters: John Chance the town sheriff, Dude as an alcoholic cowboy trying to get clean, and Stumpy as an elderly cripple who serves in the sheriff's office. They argue and spar throughout the movie, adding much comic relief to an otherwise conventional story.Joe Burnett is a powerful local rancher who kills an innocent bystander during a fight he provoked, and is arrested and taken to the town jail for it, where the sheriff and the deputized Dude and Stumpy hold him in wait for the marshal. They hold off the rancher's brother and his hired hands, while in the meantime an old friend of Chance comes to town with his group, as well as a woman named Feathers who is a card player and possible cheater. The questions are whether Chance and company can hold off the hired hands, and whether Dude can stay clean and competent as he withdraws from his alcoholism, and how good is Stumpy with his health problems anyway. Also what is the story with Colorado, the young man who came with the supply train, and will he get involved? Not until after watching the movie did I learn about this movie being a deliberate answer to "High Noon", where that sheriff kept going to the townspeople begging them for help, only they were too cowardly. Chance is different; he refuses outside help but gets it anyway. A more convincing scenario when you think about it.

Leofwine_draca I'm no big fan of John Wayne and truth be told I haven't watched very many of his films at all. My main interest in seeing RIO BRAVO is that it served as a big inspiration on John Carpenter's ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, and as a massive fan of Carpenter I knew I had to watch it. Having just watched it, I can report that it's an involved and engaging western, one with flaws but which overcomes these by offering strong action scenes and good characterisation. The similarities to the Carpenter film are fewer than expected, as this doesn't have any of the siege action I was expecting.The plot sees Wayne and his buddies holding a notorious criminal in their town jail while the guy's gang members and brother attempt to free him. There's little more to it than that, and it's a decent template for thrills and action. The shoot-outs in this film are well directed and exciting, and the large scale climax approaches brilliance. However, the film does drag in places with the overlong running time. Angie Dickinson is an arresting presence for sure, but her romance scenes with Wayne feel unnecessary (not to mention unbelievable). Dean Martin lends solid support as the drunken aide, but that whole sub-plot of him getting drunk and taken advantage of feels a bit redundant too. Still, it's a fine-looking film, and western fans will lap it up.

vern-729-149732 Usually I don't like these types of old westerns. They often present a "let's go camping with our cell phones and gourmet freeze dried food" version of the old west. I think the old westerns tend to make it more glamorous than it was. I do like many of the recent westerns. Probably starting with "The Unforgiven", and I also like any of the classic spaghetti westerns with Mr. Eastwood. Those are often more gritty and quite different compared to this type of "amusement park western" with John Wayne.However, this one was just plain dang fun with great characters and a believable romance (Every time there's any type of romance in any movie that the film maker's want me to believe in, I compare it to Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3. Two movies to create a convincing love story and it failed miserably). What I appreciated was that it wasn't "simplistic". The developing romance between the Wayne and Dickinson's character had some "relatively" complex elements that weren't simple western cookie cutter, not all spelled out, type of cinematic relationship. Yeah it wasn't that complex but it was interesting to figure out the motivations and fun to follow along. There was even some comic relief! Quite frankly, Angie Dickinson was a major hottie in her day. Whoa! She looked familiar but I couldn't place the face. Didn't recognize her AT ALL. I had to check the credits.Some reviewers don't care for the romance and the longer story development elements, but just like one of those man made climbing walls at a sporting goods stores, without it there aren't any good handholds. I need those parts to hang on to, keeping my interest so I can keep climbing to the top.Without some slowing down and something to care about, the rest of the action is just another old western that bores the heck out of me. I know people who "fast forward" or "talk" through the slow bits in action movies. I am the complete opposite. Without that back story, without the stuff that happens BETWEEN the action sequences, I have no commitment or involvement in the outcome. Without light there's no dark. Without contrasts it's all "one color".I couldn't sleep, it was early early morning so I was up anyway, flipped on the TV and this was on. Was going to change channel but was too lazy and hadn't planned to watch anything "with commitment", just background noise. But then I got sucked in and before I knew it was totally engrossed in the characters and story and really enjoying it.The only thing I might have left out would have been the kind of out of place, awkward "musical break" from the two major singers in the cast. I thought this would be coming at some point but hoped they might skip over it... but... at least there wasn't too much of it. I can't imagine two "cowboys" with singing voices like that just randomly thrown together in the same town in the same dangerous situation. Another one of those "throw out all believability" old western cliché.The Colorado character seemed a bit out of place and unconventional but I think he pulled it off. Acting was a bit stiff but I didn't mind. He was almost like a "Deus Ex Machina". Might be too strong to say that but close enough. He was always in the right place at the right time.Some say it was too long? Wow... I was actually disappointed when it ended. I wanted more. Guess I have to watch some Gunsmoke reruns. I had to give it a 10 out of 10 based on how much I enjoyed it. When the time just flies by without consciously noticing, and I feel sad when the credits roll, I have to give it a 10.