El Dorado

Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Charlene Holt, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michelle Carey, Ed Asner
Directed by: Howard Hawks
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Western, Action, Adventure
1966

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A hired gun (John Wayne) returns help his friend, a drunken sheriff (Robert Mitchum) fend off a group of outlaws.

Review:

Tim: I really don't know why director Howard Hawks wanted to remake his near-masterpiece, Rio Bravo, but here we are. The sad thing is that this movie is excellent- the problem is that compared to the superior Rio Bravo, this film seems less than it is. Make no mistake, this is a very good film, it is just that Howard Hawks' previous film is better.

As the story is virtually the same, this movie is still pretty strong. Add in a director who's already directed this movie, and an actor who's already played this part, and you have experience working for you.

The cast is actually quite good. John Wayne is solid as always, as is a good enough actor to have learned from his experience in Rio Bravo. You can tell he is comfortable in the role. He has a good support in both Robert Mitchum and James Caan. It is amazing how Wayne's supporting cast can not be as good as it was in Rio Bravo, and yet still be very, very good. The rest of the supporting cast is at least as good as in the previous film.

Although this may seem like a needless remake, it is actually fascinating to watch. You have the same director and actor, yet the rest of the elements of the film are slightly different. This is really interesting, and watching these two films together will produce incredible results that are somewhat rare in moviedom.

Even alone, El Dorado stands as a very good Western, and quite an enjoyable film to watch.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Rio Bravo, The Searchers