Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Rio Bravo 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The Magnificent Three. (Four, if you count Stumpy.)

Reviewed by Randy Miller III July 17, 2023

Howard Hawks' 1959 comeback film Rio Bravo officially ended the celebrated director's four-year European hiatus, a self-imposed exile after suffering his first real box-office disappointment with 1955's frivolous but fun historical drama Land of the Pharaohs (not-so-coincidentally debuting on Blu-ray this week from Warner Archive). A supremely confident and smooth-running Western with excellent casting and a loose, appealing flow, Rio Bravo has been well-represented on home video thus far but finally makes its long-awaited 4K UHD debut from Warner Bros., headlined by a clean new restoration that showcases its rich Technicolor visuals. Only the lack of an included Blu-ray copy (restored or not) spoils the party somewhat, as owners of that previous release (which was even quietly re-released in 2015 with a lossless audio upgrade) should definitely hang onto either disc for the excellent bonus features.

For a synopsis and appreciation of Rio Bravo, please read Martin Liebman's review of the 2007 Blu-ray linked above. I'm absolutely in agreement with Marty's full five-star rating here: Rio Bravo is one of the all-time great Westerns, as its accessible mix of humor, action, drama, and fantastic on-screen charisma make it a necessary part of any collection or even a potent gateway drug for those new to the genre's post-Golden Age era. It's a true "total package" picture and, though seemingly daunting at 141 minutes, this is the kind of film you wish would go on forever.

Rio Bravo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are from our review of the 2007 Blu-ray (not included with this release).

Despite the reasonable strengths of Warner Bros.' 2007 Blu-ray (an early-format release that even holds up decently well by today's standards), there's no question that this new 4K restoration yields superior results. The studio's recent press release only mentioned that it had been "restored by Warner Bros.", which may very well mean that this 2160p, HDR-enhanced transfer was sourced from an identical master. I'm only guessing this because both presentations are proportionately clean and healthy, but the 4K disc's increased resolution and more efficient encoding -- remember, both earlier Blu-rays used the ancient VC-1 codec -- means that that detail and clarity are improved overall: not necessarily tack-sharp since Rio Bravo is a somewhat soft-looking film by design, but in its base-level textural appearance that now more closely resembles tight Technicolor grain rather than slightly clumpy digital noise. I've seen more than enough Warner Archive restorations to know what a properly-handled film of this era and format ought to look like and WB's treatment of Rio Bravo comes awfully close to that pinnacle, with the headroom of its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio -- a tighter but more accurate variant of the older Blu-ray's open-matte 1.78:1 -- making an extremely strong first impression during many of the film's stunning outdoor scenes. In short, it just looks clean and natural.

Although it doesn't seem like the most logical candidate for an HDR boost, Rio Bravo clearly benefits from this new element as well. Sun-bleached outdoor locations are especially eye-popping and stand in great contrast to deeper shadows, while its unmistakably Technicolor palette likewise feels tighter and more uniquely varied while still staying true to its roots. Deeper blacks and better-resolved contrast also aids sporadic nighttime scenes, where silhouettes stand out a touch more strongly against the darkness. Overall depth is also tighter, such as Chance's climactic walk towards the Burdette hideout; this scene looked great on Blu-ray, but the more dialed-in focus creates a staggeringly convincing "you are there" feeling that really adds to what's already a top-tier scene. All told, the fundamental boost in resolution and added bump from its new HDR pass easily earns Rio Bravo high marks, leaving precious little room for improvement and a near-perfect score. Die-hard fans and newcomers alike will be pleased for sure.

Rio Bravo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

WB's 2015 Blu-ray was a quietly reissued disc that finally included a lossless mono track, so it's not surprising that the 4K's lossless mono mix -- which is actually presented as a 2.0 split-channel track -- sounds more or less fundamentally identical and both are slightly more robust than the 2007 Blu-ray. I still may have been able to pick out a few volume fluctuations and traces of gauziness during small portions of the dialogue, but this track is essentially a very solid effort that's in otherwise great condition and gets the job done. As Rio Bravo is inarguably more dialogue-driven than most Westerns, it's good to know that the wide majority of it is clean, crisp, and easy to understand.

Speaking of which, the optional English (SDH) subtitles do something that I don't think previous home video releases ever have: translate most if not all of the the sporadic Spanish dialogue spoken by Carlos and Consuela. It's mostly incidental remarks and petty insults but, for a non-Spanish speaker such as myself, this gives their exchanges a bit of added flavor that's appreciated. (When subtitles are disabled, their comments remain untranslated.)

Rio Bravo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with... uh, interesting cover artwork; if nothing else, it makes one really appreciate the classic simplicity of Warner Archive's vintage poster artwork designs. No slipcover is included, but a Digital Copy redemption slip tucked inside. Since this is a 4K-only edition, most of the great extras from Warner Bros.' 2007 Blu-ray and 2015 re-issue have sadly not been carried over -- only the audio commentary remains.

• Audio Commentary - This feature-length commentary track pairs up filmmaker John Carpenter (whose early-career breakout film Assault on Precinct 13 was greatly influenced by Rio Bravo) and film critic Richard Schickel. It's much drier than you'd expect for a commentary featuring the notoriously candid filmmaker but nonetheless offers some interesting insight and historical perspective. Yet considering all the extras that didn't make the cut here, it feels sorely lackluster as a fitting stand-alone tribute to this absolutely classic film.

Rio Bravo 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo is unquestionably one of the best Westerns of its era, bolstered by excellent casting and a loose but supremely confident pace that still goes down smooth. Warner Bros.' long-awaited 4K edition is unsurprisingly the best way to watch it, as their new 2160p, HDR-enhanced transfer showcases Rio Bravo's outstanding Technicolor cinematography in great detail and the lossless audio, while near-identical to WB's own 2015 Blu-ray, remains a very satisfactory effort. Only the lack of a Blu-ray copy and its included extras keep this from being a definitive disc.