I think this has to be without a doubt John Wayne's best movie. Rio Bravo really seemed to have the charm possessed in most John Wayne movies, the action was good, and there was even some comic relief. If you think The Searchers was a good movie - I would agree whole heartedly. I did not consider it a real "John Wayne" however, because he did not seem to play the same character role.
shareI adore Rio Bravo, and while I don't think it's John Wayne best performance (I think that rotates between The Searchers, True Grit, for which he won an Oscar, or The Shootist) nor is it my favorite Western-with-John Wayne-in-it (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), it's the Western that I would most heartily recommend to others who wanted to watch a John Wayne film. Its tone is perfect: not silly, but not moody or overly contemplative. There's a perfect balance of action and quiet, it has likable characters and one of the best written scripts in the entire genre. Plus, it's more enjoyable than High Noon.