Rio Lobo

G

Released Dec 18, 1970

1h 54m

Western

List

70%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Union leader Cord McNally (John Wayne) is protecting a routine gold shipment when his troops are attacked by Confederate forces. Not only does he lose the gold, but one of his strongest officers is killed in the raid. At the end of the Civil War, McNally learns that the raiders had help from the inside, and he vows to uncover the two traitors. After a chance encounter with one of the turncoats, McNally travels to the town of Rio Lobo and makes an unexpected discovery.

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Critics Consensus

Howard Hawks and John Wayne reunite to riff on their own Rio Bravo, and while the results are less memorable the movie does offer a curiously cynical perspective.

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Christine L

This was a good movie with an older Wayne. He still had his grit, but the story was a little too obvious. Entertaining but not one of his greats like Stagecoach, The Sesrches, or even The Horse Soldier.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/20/23

Full Review

Rami A

The story itself is not really important in this instance. We go to a classic John Wayne Western not in search of something new, but rather in search of the same old thing done right.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/15/23

Full Review

Sam

Very bad supportive actors and actresses. Sounds like reading script for first time. Dialogue was predictiable and amateurish. Should have stopped at Rio Bravo.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/22/23

Full Review

Red T

It's Solid! The acting is good overall with Wayne carrying most of this well. There is some good witty lines and a couple of memorable characters like Phillips. The only complaints really is the women while good can blend in because there is a lot of them in this and the supporting characters aren't as good as Dean Martin or Nelson in Rio Bravo. The cinematography is solid with great camerawork, memorable locations, and good action in the end. The only real complaint here is there isn't anything I would call riveting, and there definitely could've been more action, similar to the problem I had with Rio Bravo. The music is good overall as well. This is well edited and it can get a bit convoluted but it I followed it just enough overall but it definitely got involved. This led to the pacing being solid with a interesting plot that doesn't drag but needed more action especially in the start which had some great suspense but never had any big shootouts or action that delivered on it. There is some clever moments with the story and it's a solid picture for Hawks to go out on despite it being a failure commercially. I can understand why, this feels like it belongs in 1957 with it's tone and plot and is cut from a completely different cloth from its contemporaries at this time like Sergio Leone, The Wild Bunch, and High Plains Drifter. With that said anyone who is a fan of the Duke, Hawks, or Westerns in general will like this. It's a Hawks Classic for sure, just needed to come out a few years earlier is all.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/14/23

Full Review

Les P

Other than Wayne, some really bad acting.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Kevin B

Not one of John Wayne's finest. But still ok to watch

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

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Howard Hawks

Director

John Wayne

Col. Cord McNally

Jorge Rivero

Capt. Pierre Cordona aka Frenchy

Jennifer O'Neill

Shasta Delaney

Jack Elam

Phillips

Victor French

Ketcham

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Jay Cocks

TIME Magazine

The Duke knows by instinct what audiences accept without question: whatever he may be called in the script, he is always unmistakably John Wayne. And who would have it any other way?

May 23, 2011

Full Review

Variety

Hawks' direction is as listless as the plot.

May 13, 2008

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

If it lacks the formal perfection of Rio Bravo and the moving elegy for men grown old of El Dorado, it's still a marvellous film.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A fun Western.

Rated: 3/4

May 30, 2021

Full Review

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

...it appears both the Duke and Hawks sort of walked through this one.

Rated: 5/10

Jul 11, 2011

Full Review

Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Delightful Western with unusually rich visual style.

Jul 7, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

Union leader Cord McNally (John Wayne) is protecting a routine gold shipment when his troops are attacked by Confederate forces. Not only does he lose the gold, but one of his strongest officers is killed in the raid. At the end of the Civil War, McNally learns that the raiders had help from the inside, and he vows to uncover the two traitors. After a chance encounter with one of the turncoats, McNally travels to the town of Rio Lobo and makes an unexpected discovery.

Director: Howard Hawks
Screenwriter: Leigh Brackett, Burton Wohl
Distributor: National General Pictures, Cine Classics, CBS/Fox, Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Batjac Productions, Malabar, Cinema Center Films
Rating: G
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 18, 1970, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 18, 2017
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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