Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)

5 Comments

1. J. Remington

   October 6, 2010 at 5:13 am

   Review by J. Remington for Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)
   Rating:
   Like SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, CHARADE, KING KONG, JAWS, A HARD DAY’S NIGHT, and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (and too many others to list is such a small space), RIO BRAVO is as close to perfect entertainment for the sake of escapist satisfaction as there is.
   
   Containing the quintessential John Wayne performance as Sheriff John Chance as well as sterling work by Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson and the incomparable Walter Brennan, RIO BRAVO is a finely crafted story that doesn’t contain an extraneous scene or misplaced piece of dialogue. The pacing is solid and the framing is economical and purely functional.

   Howard Hawks was known for directing strong ensemble casts in tight adventures and this is certainly no exception. He truly was an actor’s director as he obviously encouraged his casts to create and communicate small morsels of behavior that richly enhance his direct and unpretentious storylines. A Hawks film, to me, is a goldmine of subtle and effective acting choices. If good acting is about, according to David Mamet, completely serving the script and completing objectives through action, then RIO BRAVO is a compelling and fine example of screen acting at its finest.

   RIO BRAVO is a film that doesn’t taint with repeated viewings. If it does not rest on your DVD shelf it is time it did. An American classic.

   Although, I must add that it is high time for a deluxe edition DVD with a stronger and richer transfer.
   

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2. Mark Barry at Reckless Records, London

   October 6, 2010 at 4:29 am

   Review by Mark Barry at Reckless Records, London for Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)
   Rating:
   ***THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BLU-RAY VERSION of “RIO BRAVO”***

   Apart from the fact that Ricky Nelson couldn’t act to save his life (he plays the fast gun Colorado), the big revelation in Howard Hawks’ High Noon rerun is Dean Martin who is just superb as the drink-obsessed Dutch – sidekick to sheriff John Wayne and his trusty buddy Walter Brennnan.

   The Blu Ray version is disappointing print wise for the opening credits – there’s blocking, speckles on the print etc, but thankfully it doesn’t stay that way for long. Although there are other weak points in the transfer later on in the movie, for about 90 % of the time I’d say it looks really good – not great – but certainly better than any other version of it that I’ve ever seen.

   There’s a nighttime sequence where one of the bad guys hiding out in a barn near the prison tries to shoot John Wayne – it cuts to Dutch outside worried about his friend inside – the clarity of sweat and dirt on Dean Martin is wonderful to see – and startling. When Angie Dickenson is stopped by John Wayne at her bedroom door suspected of card shark tricks in the saloon she’s just left below, her face and clothing look sensational too (what a beauiful woman she was). But then in other places there’s a disappointing feeling of the focus being slightly off or the print’s vibrancy being washed out.

   It might just be that in 1959 the colour process was not quite there yet, but you can’t help but feel that if this negative had been given real care and effort – the print would have been a genuine joy to look at – rather than being something that just ellicits the word ‘good’ out of you every now and then.

   “Rio Bravo” is a very good transfer to Blu Ray, but like so many oldies that aren’t treated to proper restoration, you can’t help but feel that an opportunity was missed here – because it’s a Western that’s stood the test of time.

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3. lordhoot

   October 6, 2010 at 3:45 am

   Review by lordhoot for Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)
   Rating:
   Rio Bravo is one of John Wayne’s more enjoyable movies and this movie is considered to be one of the greatest westerns ever made. Wayne is superbly supported by Dean Martin who also carried the movie as well as Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan and Angie Dickinson. Great cast, superb script and excellent direction make this movie a viewing a pleasure many times over. It has everything anyone want in a John Wayne movie. Gunfights, fist fights, slow developing story to developed all the main characters and even pacing with a song or two thrown in. So successful was this movie that it was remade two more times as El Dorado and Rio Lobo. Amazingly, all three movies were directed by Howard Hawks and starred John Wayne. Even more amazing is that all three movies proves to be just as good and entertaining as ever.

   This two disc Special Edition of Rio Bravo is a definite upgrade in both quality of image as well as sound over the previous release. I found the running commentary by John Carpenter and Richard Schickel to be somewhat enjoyable but the extra features proves to be a disappointment. There are three special features on the second disc. Two of them, Howard Hawk’s Rio Bravo and Old Tucson: Where Legends Walked proves to be quite interesting. However, I was pretty disappointed by the main feature of this second disc, Men Who Made Movies: Howard Hawks. This feature I have seen already on Bringing Up Baby two disc edition (superb Katherine Hepburn/Cary Grant movie). I was very unhappy that a documentary already used in one DVD movie was reused for another. Warner Brothers made a cheap move here. (However, if you do not owned Bringing Up Baby, then you will get more out of the second disc then I did.)

   I gave five stars for the movie, three stars for the special features, averaging out to four stars for this review. It should be noted that this two disc edition is exactly identical to the “ultimate edition” although that edition cost more and have a reproduction of Dell comic book based on the movie and promo booklet attached to it. (Much like the Ultimate Edition of the Searchers.)

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4. James Koenig

   October 6, 2010 at 3:24 am

   Review by James Koenig for Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)
   Rating:
   “Rio Bravo” is a very entertaining and quality film suitable for the entire family.

   The film boasts an all-star cast that boasts a wealth of talent. John Wayne is the tough sherrif John T. Chance, who has to hold a prisoner charged with murder in his small jail awaiting the arrival of the territory judge. Wayne gives one of his best performances. Dean Martin plays Wayne’s troubled drunk deputy. Martin surprises everyone by showing just how wonderful an actor he is. In a difficult role, Martin excels. Angie Dickenson is Wayne’s love interest. Dickenson’s role is also an emotionally challenging bit of acting, but she pulls it off easily with room to spare. Walter Brennan is Wayne’s crippled deputy and he also excels and provides comic relief. Brennan is so convincing as the crippled leg deputy that many fans of Brennan believed that he was actually crippled in real life. Brennan walked as good as anyone and it is a tribute to him that he convinced all of us that he had a bum leg! Rounding out the cast is the very young heartthrob Ricky Nelson, who plays “Colorado”, a trailhand with a good gun. Nelson is in over his head here as an actor, but was probably included in the film for his ability to bring in the female audience. Ward Bond and Claude Akins round out the excellent cast.

   Director Howard Hawks uses the cast to his advantage. His directorship keeps the film moving along at a steady pace. Interestingly, the first several minutes of the film has no dialogue at all! John Wayne speaks the first line about 4 minutes into the film after much action has already taken place.

   This film represents Hawks’ and Wayne’s response to the movie “High Noon”, which both men despised. Wayne and Hawks were disturbed by “High Noon” as no townspeople came to the help of the sherrif who had to face down a gang of thugs by himself. Both men believed that the good men and women of the community would rally to the side of good and face down evil. In ‘Rio Bravo”, Wayne’s sherrif does not go it alone, but gets help from several sources.

   Dimitri Tiomkin’s score is a good one, originally made for the classic western, “Red River”. Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson combine their vocal talents in the duet “My Rifle, My Pony, And Me”. Believe it or not, Walter Brennan adds his vocal talents in a song that follows!

   “Rio Bravo” is a very satisfying and entertaining film fit for the entire family. There is no profanity, love scenes are done discretely, and the expected violence is not graphic or gratuitous. As a kid, this was one of my favorite “John Wayne” movies. As an adult, it continues to be a favorite, and I believe it will be a favorite of yours too. Out of 10 stars, I’d give it a solid 9.

   Jim Konedog Koenig

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5. Jason Kruppa

   October 6, 2010 at 3:07 am

   Review by Jason Kruppa for Rio Bravo (Two-Disc Special Edition)
   Rating:
   Rio Bravo is one of a handful of movies (see also The Quiet Man) that belies the one-note, tough-guy stereotype that so many people associate with John Wayne. Here he is endearing (his scenes with Walter Brennan are hilarious and genuine) and, dare I say, even somewhat sensitive in his own way (his firm method of “treatment” for Dean Martin’s alcoholic character is something a counselor friend of mine finds priceless). The rest of the cast is wonderful as well: Brennan is cranky, Martin is wounded but charismatic, Angie Dickinson is sly and assured and Ricky Nelson, surprisingly, does more than just hold his own and look pretty (*and* he sings a duet with Dean Martin). Everyone involved here obviously had a ton of fun making the movie, but more importantly the film exudes that sense of good cheer without undercutting the narrative tension. Director Howard Hawks certainly had a great deal to do with the quick pacing and the tightness of the ensemble, both of which assure that the film never seems to drag, even in quiet moments. In short, a western for people who don’t like westerns and a John Wayne movie for people who don’t like John Wayne.

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