The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)

The four sons reunite for the first time in years, returned to the town of Clearwater to pay their respects. The Eldest (Wayne) is the most feared. Upset at the changes he finds in the town, he digs for answers, but they aren't forthcoming and not everyone is happy with the questioning, particularly one shady ranch owner who hires a trigger-happy gunman to protect him.
It's an enjoyable couple of hours for fans of the Duke or Martin, but it's really nothing special as far as genre pictures go. The mystery is a nice touch but runs out of steam pretty quickly, and because the majority of the action scenes are held back until the last half hour the pacing may even leave some non-fans bored. In short, if you're not already itching to see it because of the cast, then you can probably live without it just fine.

3 brotherly punches out of 5

Cannonball Run II (1984)

Most of the principal cast return for the sequel, but the magic evaporates after the opening ten minutes. It flaffs around for too long with stupidity that feels like an attempt to apply the kind of spoof formula that Leslie Nielson became best known for, but the gags are weak and it doesn't feel like anyone is in an actual race until the last act. It’s a collection of good character actors given nothing interesting to do for 108 minutes.

1½ cosplaying car owners out of 5

The Cannonball Run (1981)

A comedy about an illegal 3000 mile automobile race across America, starring Burt Reynolds’ moustache (with an actual Burt Reynolds attached) and Dom DeLuise. They're backed up by a large cast of international actors who willingly take the piss out of their own status and iconic roles. The plot is paper thin, but the character-based gags and rivalries are still funny.
I’m almost certain TCR was the first Golden Harvest film I ever saw as a kid, which means it's likely it was my first ever Jackie Chan film, too.  0_0

3 speed limits are for guidance purposes only out of 5

Rio Bravo (1959)

Sitting down to watch John Wayne in a Howard Hawks Western means you’re in for a good time, but I admit I’m not in love with this one as much as the film world seems to think I should be.
Wayne as Sherriff is fantastic as always. Dean Martin had a tough job but he did it well. Ricky Nelson looked at home with a guitar but less so with a gun; it was early in his acting career and he was still inexperienced. The Feathers character (Angie Dickinson) was a square peg in a round hole; she didn't bring enough to the clique to warrant inclusion.
Everything else works and by the end we know why each unequivocal decision was made.

3½ sing-songs in the jail-house out of 5