Rating: 
Summary: Mediocre
Review: "El Dorado" is so hokey, one has to wonder if John Wayne was attempting a self-parody. Seriously, a film featuring Wayne, Robert Mitchum and James Caan should feature some great lines and excellent interaction. Alas, the story is tepid. Near as I can figure Wayne, Mitchum and Caan who (lamentably) are all on the same side, become involved in the classic struggle of some good ranchers vs. some bad ranchers. Though on the basis of what's on the screen, I had a hard time figuring out why I should really care which side won. Ed Asner plays the head of the villinous group, but he does so little on screen that its difficult to fathom why he's the bad guy. Caan is largley wasted in the role of the young knife thrower Wayne takes under his wing. After a couple of good early scenes, he sort of fades into the background. The subplot about Mitchum's drinking is laughable and Wayne struts through the movie as if he's phoning in his performance. Much of the second half of the film is spent with our heros holed up at the jailhouse against the forces of evil. To get information and supplies, they keep sneaking out the back door and THE BAD GUYS NEVER CATCH ON TO THIS. Overall, this hokey Western is barely worth the time it takes to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: swagger
Review: A beautiful DVD transfer for a great film. One of the other reviews described the movie as "relaxed." That's just it. Hawks really brings out the best in Wayne (though Wayne is always wonderful). I can't describe the sort of comfortable, macho male swagger that this kind of picture typifies--you just have to see it. And they really don't make 'em like this anymore. Great performances all around, but especially Wayne and Guest. I'll quibble with the last reviewer: Mitchum is great but the Duke is so large that he pushes everyone else out of the screen. Hey, what can you do?
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: Classic Western in all it's majesty
Review: an againg gunman(Wayne)and a Tough sherrif(Mitchum)square off against a ruthless cattle baron. Exciting shootouts throughtout lives up to its predessocr "RIO BRAVO" Definatly one of the Duke's all time best. Another highlight in the film is James Cann in one of his earliest performances.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun and Action Western from Wayne and Hawks
Review: Despite comparisons to Howard Hawks' earlier "Rio Bravo" this film stands on its own for pure entertainment. John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, James Caan, Arthur Hunnicutt and Christopher George are all excellent thanks to Hawks' bawdy direction and Leigh Brackett's fun script full of homespun dialogue. Howard Hawks was really a master at building up characterizations as a way of moving the most simple of plots to deliver a good piece of entertainment. He was also a master of balancing good action scenes with humorous situations and character interplay as this film also proves. There is great camaraderie among all the actors in this film that really comes across. This is a good film. I highly recommend it.
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: A spectacular western from the masters--Hawks and the Duke
Review: Director Howard Hawks turned out some great westerns, but this has to be the best (in my opinion). Teaming up once again with John Wayne, El Dorado is a great film with an engaging storyline and a cast of characters that you can't help but like. First of all, there's the Duke, playing Cole Thornton, a gunslinger for hire who finds himself mixed up in a water dispute. Also starring is Robert Mitchum, a drunken sheriff who's an excellent gunslinger--when he's sober enough to hold a gun. But the one who steals the show, in my opinion, is James Caan, aka Mississippi. Caan plays a young man who can't shoot straight but is great with a knife. To compensate for this, Cole buys him a sawed-off shotgun, and hilarity ensues every time he pulls the trigger-- everything from shooting the wrong guy to wounding his friends to missing his target altogether. In fact, this is one of the great things about this movie--it's funny. This is a great Western, one of the best in my opinion. The story is intriguing, and the characters have a great chemistry. If you want an good old-fashioned bang-em-up Western which is good for a lot of laughs as well, try El Dorado. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Entertaining Western
Review: EL DORADO has a lot of good elements such as an interesting story, gripping suspense and above all excellent acting. Besides John Wayne in the role of a professional gunfighter and Robert Mitchum as the sheriff of El Dorado, the film has a strong supporting cast which includes James Caan, Charlene Holt, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey and John Mitchum. The latter is the younger brother of Robert Mitchum. In this movie John plays a bartender. He has more than 200 movie and TV appearances to his credit as well as stints as a singer and song writer. Robert Mitchum can play a drunk trying to cope with a hongover as well as anybody in movies. Howard Hawkes is best remembered for his direction of SERGEANT YORK. I always thought that EL DORADO deserved a high rating even though it failed to receive any Oscar nominations in 1967. The Academy award competition in that year was dominated by BONNIE AND CLYDE, THE GRADUATE and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF WAYNE'S BETTER 1960'S WESTERNS
Review: El Dorado is basically a remake of 1959's Rio Bravo with Robert Mitchum playing the Dean Martin Role and James Caan playing the Rick Nelson role as a young gunman. The Trio are joined by Mitchums deputy "Bull" in trying to protect a family of rancers from an evil land baron trying to run them off their land. It's classic Wayne with lots of humor mixed in with the action. Wayne and Mitchum were very good together and Mitchums scenes playing the drunken sheriff are very funny. Ed Asner plays the evil land baron with Christopher George as his hired gunslinger who wants to challenge the older Wayne to see who is faster on the draw. Not as good as Rio Bravo but better than Rio Lobo which was basically yet another re-make of the same plot.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF WAYNE'S BETTER 1960'S WESTERNS
Review: El Dorado is basically a remake of 1959's Rio Bravo with Robert Mitchum playing the Dean Martin Role and James Caan playing the Rick Nelson role as a young gunman. The Trio are joined by Mitchums deputy "Bull" in trying to protect a family of rancers from an evil land baron trying to run them off their land. It's classic Wayne with lots of humor mixed in with the action. Wayne and Mitchum were very good together and Mitchums scenes playing the drunken sheriff are very funny. Ed Asner plays the evil land baron with Christopher George as his hired gunslinger who wants to challenge the older Wayne to see who is faster on the draw. Not as good as Rio Bravo but better than Rio Lobo which was basically yet another re-make of the same plot.
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