El Dorado (1966)

Director: Howard Hawks
Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan

Synopsis:
A veteran gunfighter sides with his friend, a sheriff turned drunkard, in a war for land, aided by a crotchety old deputy and a greenhorn who's terrible with a gun.

Impressions:
Some people dismiss this as little more than a remake of Rio Bravo, but that short-sells the film's merits. As a John Wayne vehicle, it's solid, plus it has all the advantages of a Howard Hawks film with snappy dialog and strong female characters. The core quartet of John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, and Arthur Hunnicutt has a good dynamic. Ed Asner is decent as the smug boss of the bad guys but the real highlight on the villain's side is Christopher George as rival gunfighter Nelse McLeod. You've got a good blend of action, tension and humor. It's a solid film and quite watchable. If you're in any way a fan of Westerns, you'll like this.

Rating:
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