Though the premiss here is hardly original, I still found this to be one of John Wayne's better efforts. He is the eponymous army rider who happens on a remote ranch inhabited by "Angie" (Geraldine Page) and her young son "Johnny" (Lee Aaker) who appear to have been deserted by her husband. He knows that the local Mescalero Apache are disgruntled because the army have broken the truce, but cannot persuade them to leave their home. His visit to the nearby fort confirms his suspicions and after a deadly altercation with her husband on his way back to the ranch, he encounters the warring natives who - luckily for him - have taken the family under the protection of their chief "Vittorio" (Michael Pate). His death, however, changes that dynamic and now "Hondo" must reconcile his need to protect his new family with his decency towards the wronged Apache. It's short and sweet, this. There is plenty of action to keep it flowing along quickly and Page injects quite a bit of grit and determination into her character that is well complemented by a confident young Aaker. Ward Bond crops up now and again, but it's clearly just a vehicle for the star, and he does well enough.
