El Dorado

Rating:
Summary: Is this the #1 JW movie or only #2?
Review: I can't decide if this is the best western ever made or the second best ever! The characters such me in every time they are so well done. Robert Mitchem playing a drunk or Dean Martin.

Rating:
Summary: Wayne's most entertaining production
Review: El Dorado is the somewhat clichéd story of John Wayne playing the out of work gunslinger and picking up a drifter who can't shoot well. They head to a town run by criminals taking advantage of a drunken sheriff, who himself was a friend the John Wayne character. Add in gun play and some romance, and you'd normally have a cookie cutter film that makes everyone some money.

However, this is the most entertaining western film I have seen. The natural dialogues that the characters partake in, the give and take, is very funny. The story is simple enough to understand, but not too simple to be childish.

When asked what the best western ever made was, I wouldn't mention this movie, but if I was asked what film I would most want to watch, El Dorado comes to the top of the list.

Rating:
Summary: The First John Wayne movie I saw and wasn't the last
Review: First off,I'm 21 years old and been watching John Wayne since I was 9 years old,I got it from my dad.I watched this classic with my dad one day,and I loved it,after seeing it I became a fan of both Wayne and Mitchum at the age of 9,pretty good for someone who grew up in the time of Star Wars,Star Trek and Terminator.This as to be one of my favourite movies with The Duke right behind,The Quiet Man and True Grit.And other then those two,there some other familler faces in this great movie directed by Howard Hawks.I recamend this movie not only to Wayne and Mitchum fans,but to western fans in general.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite Western, but there are flaws
Review: Like the other reviewer said, I can't put my finger exactly on why this is not just my favorite Western but one of my favorite movies. I think it's because the actors are so obviously having a good time with the characters they portray. That, and the script is just plain engaging. The characters bounce wisecracks off each other throughout the movie, which provides a lot of good humor and gives the movie an easy "buddy" feel that you get from movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The story is simple, but there are twists to the white hats vs. black hats routine that keep the viewer wondering how it will all wind up. The cinematography is also good...I find myself looking at the colors and lighted areas in the nighttime scenes because it is so warm-looking. There are some flaws...for example, John Wayne's character is stricken by occasional paralysis when a bullet in his back "presses against something." This happens a couple of times in the movie, yet James Caan's character asks,"What is it, Cole?" when it happens for the second time, well after it has all been explained to him. That aside, and some other things too, I love this movie. If you want a John Wayne movie that is a good story with no axes to grind, a movie that shows him at his best, and one with an excellent supporting cast, then this is the one. Even my wife liked it, and she is not a John Wayne fan. This movie is simply my favorite. I have watched this movie since I was a kid in the 70s. I own a VHS copy, and the first movie I'll buy when I upgrade to DVD will be El Dorado.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Western
Review: I cannot say what it is exactly that I love about this movie. It came out in theaters many years before I was born and I am not a fan of westerns. However, the cast and the way they interact separates this film from other types. James Caan is excellent as "Mississippi"! I saw it on the AMC channel last year and had never heard of the film before then and was instantly hooked and had to buy the DVD. In the few months I have owned it, I have already watched it several times. It is amazing to also find out that other people are big fans of this movie as well. I recommend that you at least rent this first to see if you like it and I think that you will.

Rating:
Summary: A Personal Favorite
Review: Director Howard Hawks and John Wayne would essentially remake the same story three times: first as RIO BRAVO in 1959, then as EL DORADO in 1967, and finally as RIO LOBO in 1970. Caught between the popularity of the first and the dismal failure of the third, EL DORADO is something of a neglected film--but for my money, it is easily the best of the three.

The story is the stuff that Western myths are made of. Aging gun-slinger John Wayne is offered a job as hired gun in a range war, but he discovers that acceptance of the job would place him on the wrong side of the law--which in this case is old friend and small town sheriff Robert Mitchum, who has made himself a laughing stock by drinking his way to the bottom of every bottle he can find. Wayne accordingly drifts into town, whips Mitchum into shape, and with the assistance of crotchety deputy Arthur Hunnicutt and youngster James Caan they set about cleaning up the town.

Although EL DORADO has a leisurely tone, but it never feels in the least slow--largely due to an unexpectedly witty script that crackles with memorable dialogue (at one point when Mitchum asks Wayne what he's looking at, Wayne responds "A tin star with a drunk pinned to it") and unexpected situations (such as Caan's unfortunate way with a shotgun.) The entire cast handles both humor and old-west action with equal skill, and both Wayne and Mitchum offer some the best work of their impressive careers here; James Caan (in his first major success), Arthur Hunnicutt, Charlene Holt, and Michele Carey are equally memorable.

There are a great many westerns more critically acclaimed than EL DORADO--RED RIVER, THE SEARCHERS, and STAGE COACH to name but a few. And I enjoy them. But EL DORADO is like meeting an old friend whose company you always enjoy. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: El Dorado
Review: This is another John Wayne movies with him at his best. There are several stars from other tv programs that are in this one. The whole family will enjoy this one as with any John Wayne movie!

Rating:
Summary: El Dorado
Review: Again, John Wayne at his best in another great western. The cast is of a bunch that true western fans would know at a glance. This another one of the "Duke"s movie that will be a plus to your collection! Once you watch this you will enjoy it!

Rating:
Summary: Why didn't Wayne win an Oscar for this one?
Review: This is one of the best Westerns ever made. John Wayne delivers his usual grand performance as Cole Thornton, a hired gun who carries a fearsome reputation. Robert Mitchum almost upstages him as drunken Sheriff J.P. Harrah, Thornton's old friend. These two exchange some of the greatest dialogue of all-time, and viewers can see that their relationship dates back a considerable amount of time.

James Caan is terrific as the kid who's a better shot with a knife than a sawed-off shotgun. "I hit the sign, and the sign hit him" is one of the funnier parts in the movie and still makes me laugh. Arthur Hunnicutt is the old geezer whose fiery spirit and witty comments provide a few laughs as well.

Ed Asner and Christopher George deliver believable performances as villians Bart Jason and Nelse MacLeod, respectively. Great heroes, villains, sidekicks, dialogue, humor, and action make El Dorado a film worth seeing. Besides, it's a John Wayne movie, how can you go wrong?

Rating:
Summary: Most favorite movie ever
Review: Im like one writer I have seen the movie 100 times,but I tell my wife that it will be good 101 times. There cant be enough said about John Wayne. There will never be another actor that can come close to the "DUKE". He can be humorus,serious,and meaningfull all in the same movie. If you hae never seen "ElDorado" I strongly recomend it you wont be sorry.