5 John Wayne Westerns That Are Extremely Overrated

John Wayne starred in some of the greatest Westerns of all time, with "The Searchers," "True Grit," and "Rio Bravo" among his standout horse operas. You can't write the book on the history of Westerns without dedicating multiple chapters to The Duke, but that's a blessing and a curse. Wayne had more hits than misses, but do we overrate some of his films because of his legendary status?

Don't get it twisted — the films on this list aren't worthless pieces of trash. In fact, the majority of them are quite good, and they all boast enjoyable qualities. That said, the movies chosen here also aren't as strong as their reputations would have you believe. Some haven't aged well, while others are retreads of better films Wayne starred in.

By no means should newcomers skip these movies, but know that you might be disappointed if you go in expecting excellence on par with "Rio Bravo." With that said, here are John Wayne's most overrated Westerns.

Some movies are too heavy-handed with their message, and "3 Godfathers" falls into that camp. John Ford's film is essentially a Western riff on the biblical "Three Wise Men" story, and the religious themes are far from subtle. There's nothing inherently wrong with Westerns promoting faith, but "3 Godfathers" is as preachy as movies get.

In this one, Wayne plays one of three outlaws who adopt a dying mother's baby while on the run. Fortunately for her, they're good bank robbers, and they venture across the frontier to deliver the baby to New Jerusalem (we told you the film was on the nose). 

"3 Godfathers" has its heart in the right place, with the film promoting values like forgiveness and redemption. Critics generally love it, as evidenced by its 88% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, Wayne's character's journey is too rushed and sentimental for viewers who aren't fully on board with unsubtle thematic elements. 

Be that as it may, Ford knew how to create a sense of grandeur, and that goes a long way when watching a Western. "3 Godfathers" looks stunning, and The Duke still has an undeniable aura. If the story had more nuance, it could have been a classic.

John Wayne's first directorial effort scores points for ambition. "The Alamo" is a bona fide epic that exceeds the three-hour mark, but it's no "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." "The Alamo" received seven Academy Awards nominations, so it clearly made a positive impact following its release. The movie looks incredible, and Wayne, Laurence Harvey, Richard Widmark, and Chill Wills bring the star power. That aside, "The Alamo" is pretty boring at times.

As the title implies, "The Alamo" tells the story of the Battle of the Alamo, which saw the Mexican Army go to war with Texas in 1836. However, viewers shouldn't go into the movie looking for historical accuracy, as it's lacking in that department — the historians who were hired to consult Wayne and co. even demanded their names removed from the credits. But entertainment is more important than historical accuracy, right? 

Unfortunately, "The Alamo" isn't all that entertaining. Wayne's film takes too long to get going, lessening the impact of its more thrilling moments. The battle scenes are impressively staged, and Wayne throws enough punches to remind us why we love the Duke. But there are better John Wayne movies than "The Alamo" for depicting battles and brawls.

"Rio Bravo" is a boss-level Western, so you can't fault Howard Hawks and John Wayne for trying to replicate its success. "El Dorado" is a loose remake of the 1959 classic, with Wayne once again defending a small Old West town from some bad people. He is joined by a drunken sheriff played by Robert Mitchum, and with a cast like that, the film was always going to be entertaining.

"El Dorado" delivers the goods as a hangout Western. Hawks imbues his characters with tough guy bravado and humor, so most Western fans will enjoy spending time with them. The film is brilliantly directed, and the cast members have great on-screen chemistry. The right ingredients are there, and Hawks mixes them well enough to create a tasty dish. 

Be that as it may, "El Dorado" is too derivative of "Rio Bravo" to be considered a classic in its own right. After all, "Rio Bravo" is one of the most rewatchable Westerns in history, and "El Dorado" was never going to reach those heights.

John Wayne played a lot of mentor figures, leading to some genre classics like "Red River," "The Shootist," "True Grit," and "Sands of Iwo Jima." Mark Rydell's "The Cowboys" sees him continue that trend, this time playing a rancher who recruits a bunch of schoolboys to assist him on a cattle drive. If working with kids isn't bad enough, the aging rancher must also deal with the dangers of the frontier.

"The Cowboys" is a fun flick, and seeing Wayne play a grizzled veteran among exuberant youngsters is a joy to behold. However, the film lacks the charm of "True Grit" and the complex character work he showed in "Red River" to hold a candle to his other mentor-themed Westerns. 

"The Cowboys" was just another day at the office for Wayne — an enjoyable one, but nothing to write home about. What's more, it feels less remarkable when you weigh it up against many of the other great Westerns that came out in the '70s.

"True Grit" is widely regarded as one of John Wayne's best movies, and his performance as Rooster Cogburn finally earned The Duke an Academy Award. You can understand the reasoning for making a sequel, but "Rooster Cogburn" fails to reach the same excellent heights as its predecessor.

That's not to say "Rooster Cogburn" is a bad movie, mind you. Wayne is in his comfort zone as an aging lawman tasked with doling out justice against a band of outlaws who've stolen some nitroglycerin. Wayne's on-screen chemistry with co-star Katharine Hepburn is also off the charts, elevating what is otherwise a very by-the-numbers Western.

Like other films on this list, "Rooster Cogburn" suffers because it's too reminiscent of better Wayne movies. It's arguably one of the best Western sequels out there, but only because the genre isn't known for producing great follow-ups to classic movies unless Sergio Leone is at the helm. "Rooster Cogburn" is passable entertainment and nothing more.