Rio Grande Movie Review

It's cowboys and Indians for the umpteenth time in the forgettable John Ford/John Wayne western Rio Grande. This time, Wayne's got a son under his command and the kid's angry mother and Wayne's estranged wife (Maureen O'Hara) shows up trying to bail him out of service before the victorious Union army heads out to clean up Apache country.

This is a really workmanlike film, offering little of interest aside from an early exploration of guerilla tactics (which could actually lead to Wayne's court martial, gasp!) and an enormous moustache that's good for a couple of laughs.

Rio Grande is never short of predictable, from the rear-projected Indian attack on a stagecoach (complete with demure female passenger who is unwilling to even pick up the reins to try to avoid death after the driver falls off) to the ultimate victory for Wayne and his boys. This is a cookie-cutter, spit-'em-out, assembly-line product that never even attempts to aspire beyond its birthright.

Now on DVD, remastered sound (or choose the original mono soundtrack) doesn't make much difference, and a few mini-documentaries and some commentary from O'Hara are just as forgettable.