Bill Williams, David Huddleston, Dean Smith

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 Rio Bravo and <...( read more  read more... )I>El Dorado. 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), Rio Lobo 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. --Tom Keogh

Flixster Users

77% liked it

1,549 ratings

Critics

72% liked it

18 critics

G, 114 min.

Directed by: Howard Hawks

Release Date: June 1, 1971

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 29, 2003

Stats: 200 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (200)


  • January 10, 2009
    While hardly the most auspicious of swan songs, Hawks? underrated final film sees a reprise of some of his favorite themes ? including the siege/hostage exchange situation from RIO BRAVO (1959), a Western he had already partially remade as EL DORADO (1966); incidentally, John Way...( read more)ne starred in all three titles.

    It opens with an elaborate gold shipment robbery from a moving train by Confederate soldiers; Wayne is a Unionist Colonel who goes after the culprits but, the war over, befriends ?enemies? Jorge Rivero and Chris Mitchum when they reveal the identity of a couple of Yankee traitors ? one is a deputy sheriff and the other an unscrupulous landowner (Victor French). The film shares its partnership-between-Union-and-Confederate-soldiers angle with Wayne?s earlier Western THE UNDEFEATED (1969) ? but, Hawks being Hawks, it?s presented here in a far more complex (and rewarding) manner.

    As is usual for the director, a spirited female protagonist is thrown into the fray ? in this case, Jennifer O?Neill as a traveling-show performer who falls foul of French and his dastardly sheriff (Mike Henry); of course, she becomes romantically involved with Rivero ? a situation Wayne observes with bemusement. Jack Elam is a delight as Mitchum?s trigger-happy coot of a foster parent, making him an ideal replacement for the Walter Brennan of RIO BRAVO. The film also features an unusually wistful score for a genre effort courtesy of Jerry Goldsmith.

    All things considered, however, RIO LOBO still emerges as the least of the loose Wayne/Hawks Western trilogy: this is chiefly due to severe undercasting when compared to the earlier efforts ? with, say, Rivero being no match for James Caan from EL DORADO. Though a lot of exposition is necessary for the various plot threads to fall into place, the film (co-scripted by Hawks regular Leigh Brackett) provides plenty of action throughout its almost 2-hour length. The climax is exciting and well-staged, and includes the revenge on Henry by a young girl he has viciously scarred for life (played by Sherry Lansing, future head of the Fox and Paramount studios and currently Mrs. William Friedkin) ? which, however, calls for O?Neill to be virtually absent from these final stages and the film to end abruptly (albeit on a running joke involving Wayne)! Unfortunately, too, the DivX copy I watched proved rather hazy and suffered from occasional compression artifacts.
  • September 11, 2009
    I liked when the confederate help John Wayne.
  • May 7, 2009
    Great John Wayne movie as all calsic western's are.
  • March 11, 2009
    Outstanding movie John Wayne is my family favorite actor
  • February 4, 2009
    One of my all time John Wayne movies..
  • January 28, 2009
    Nada mejor que un western bien hecho y este e es todo un clásico la historia pueda que no sorprenda pero ni buscamos sorpresas en el western buscamos es un buen rato de diversión y este sin duda lo logra
  • October 11, 2008
    one of my ALL time favorite films
    It has all of my favorite actors in it and of course the gun play at the end was a splended piece of work as well
    Too bad they don'y make movies like this any more
  • October 1, 2008
    GOOD MOVIE WORTH WATCHING.
  • September 8, 2008
    you know I like John wayne

Critic Reviews


October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

In this case, the story itself doesn't matter much. We go to a classic John Wayne Western not to see anything new, but to see the old done again, done well. full review

View more Rio Lobo reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Rio Lobo" !

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Rio Bravo
    Rio Bravo (100%)

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings


Rio Lobo Trivia


  • In what movie was John Wayne told that he was "comfortable"?  Answer »
  • What actor played in Rio Lobo as Col. Cord McNally?  Answer »
  • Who directed these classic westerns: 'Rio Lobo', 'Rio Bravo', and 'El Dorado'?  Answer »
  • What did these movies have in common? Rio Bravo Rio Lobo Eldorado Support Your Local Sheriff  Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for Rio Lobo. Want to create one?

Video Clips


No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin


No skins yet. Interested in creating one?