Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

96% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings

When gunslinger Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) kills a man in a saloon, Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) arrests him with the aid of the town drunk, Dude (Dean Martin). Before long, Burdette's brother, Nathan (John Russell), comes around, indicating that he's prepared to bust his brother out of jail if necessary. Chance decides to make a stand until reinforcements arrive, enlisting Dude, an old cripple named Stumpy (Walter Brennan) and baby-faced cowboy Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) to help.

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Rio Bravo

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Critics Consensus

Rio Bravo finds director Howard Hawks -- and his stellar ensemble cast -- working at peak performance, and the end result is a towering classic of the Western genre.

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Critics Reviews

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Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Richard Brody New Yorker The movie is simultaneously an apogee of the classic Western style, with its principled violence in defense of just law, and an eccentrically hyperbolic work of modernism, which yokes both bumptious erotic comedy and soul-searing rawness to the mission. Apr 23, 2013 Full Review Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times To watch Rio Bravo is to see a master craftsman at work. The film is seamless. There is not a shot that is wrong. It is uncommonly absorbing, and the 141-minute running time flows past like running water. Rated: 4/4 Apr 23, 2013 Full Review Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (3) TIME Magazine Wayne, of course, walks off with the show -- not by doing anything in particular, but simply by being what he is: at 51, still one of the most believable he-men in Hollywood. Apr 27, 2009 Full Review Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Moira Walsh The Catholic World In addition to its excessive length and consequent slow pace the film has other liabilities... Nevertheless the characterizations are unusually solid and get more interesting as they go along. Nov 28, 2023 Full Review Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A marvelous motion picture. Rated: 4/4 Aug 10, 2023 Full Review Rio Bravo | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Noah Gittell Washington City Paper It's pure romantic bliss that feels about as far away from a political statement as you could imagine. Jul 21, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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steve Great great movie!!! Everyone is wonderful and perfect for their roles.it’s also very funny 🤠🤠🤠 Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/22/23 Full Review Joel H Rio Bravo is another strong showing for director Howard Hawks and John Wayne. This movie features a character-driven story, which meant that I was willing to overlook the simplistic story. I liked the characters and was interested to see what they’d do in the given situations. I also gave a pass to the obvious stunt casting of singers Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson (along with their somewhat random musical number) because they were able to hold their own in the film. Sure, Rio Bravo may have its faults, but it’s how it stands up to those faults with a bold determination that makes this movie likeable. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/25/24 Full Review Merick H Awesome western that is gripping from beginning to end. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/24 Full Review bob c One of the best Westerns until totally eclipsed by The Wild Bunch. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/20/23 Full Review Jean-Michel C The key scene, the best lines if any: "Didn't spill a dropThe shakes are goneJust because of ... a piece of musicTill they played that piece I forgot how I got into this thingKeep on playing I don't think I'll ever forget it againChance! Give me another shot at it,Stumpy can take the bottle away "Beautiful, simple, simple as this "piece of music ", it hits your heart as easily as does a bullet. What a piece this movie! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/23 Full Review Alec B The John Wayne/Angie Dickinson romance is entirely unbelievable, but just about everything else is a fine example of Hawks' singular talent for directing. Also, I was surprised Dean Martin had the chops to pull off this complex of a performance. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Howard Hawks Director John Wayne Sheriff John T. Chance Dean Martin Dude ("Borachón") Ricky Nelson Colorado Ryan Angie Dickinson Feathers Walter Brennan Stumpy
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Synopsis When gunslinger Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) kills a man in a saloon, Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) arrests him with the aid of the town drunk, Dude (Dean Martin). Before long, Burdette's brother, Nathan (John Russell), comes around, indicating that he's prepared to bust his brother out of jail if necessary. Chance decides to make a stand until reinforcements arrive, enlisting Dude, an old cripple named Stumpy (Walter Brennan) and baby-faced cowboy Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson) to help.

Director
Howard Hawks

Producer
Howard Hawks

Screenwriter
B.H. McCampbell, Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett

Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.

Production Co
Armada Pictures

Genre
Western

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 18, 1959, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 11, 2015

Runtime
2h 21m

Sound Mix
Mono

Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
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