Rio Lobo

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Buy This Item Rio Lobo by Paramount  Available from Amazon  $11.99  on 11-26-2008     The final film by the legendary director Howard Hawks, released in 1970, found him paired with longtime leading man John Wayne in a story slightly similar to their more familiar <I>Rio Bravo</I> and <I>El Dorado</I>. Set at the end of the Civil War, the story finds Wayne playing a Union army colonel who recovers some stolen gold and roots out a traitor. Though a little creaky (Hawks had been making films since 1926), <I>Rio Lobo</I> nevertheless has his trademark, crackling dialogue, appealing characters, and ensemble spirit among the cast. This was a worthy finish to a fantastic career by a first-rank filmmaker. <I>--Tom Keogh</I> Reader Reviews I notice that negative reviews for Rio Lobo get a lot of unhelpful votes. Probably from die-hard John Wayne fans. Well, I'm a John Wayne fan and I thought this was a mediocre film. Except for Wayne, the acting is almost comical, especially from the three women in the cast. Wayne had already received his Best Actor Oscar, but Howard Hawks didn't need to surround him with novice actors to prove he deserved it. (I say novice instead of bad because several cast members learned their craft and went on to build respectable careers.) Jack Elam appears to be about the only one who deserves to share the screen with Wayne. Another irritant: Rio Lobo is like two movies. The first part takes place during the civil war and has some great action sequences and is highly entertaining. The second part makes you wince at the dialogue, character development, and plot. Rio Lobo proves that John Wayne couldn't carry a movie all by himself. He still needed a sound script and experienced actors. The Shopkeeper

Rio Lobo Available from Amazon Price: $11.99 Updated on 11-26-2008.

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