Hidalgo
Directed by:
Joe JohnstonScreenplay:
John FuscoCinematography:
Shelly JohnsonComposer:
James Newton HowardCast:
Viggo Mortensen, Zuleikha Robinson, Omar Sharif, Louise Lombard, Adam Alexi-Malle, Saïd Taghmaoui, J.K. Simmons, Peter Mensah, Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Held yearly for centuries, the Ocean of Fire--a 3,000 mile survival race across the Arabian desert--was a challenge restricted to the finest Arabian horses ever bred, the purest and noblest lines, owned by the greatest royal families. In 1890, a wealthy sheik invited an American, Frank T. Hopkins, and his horse to enter the race for the first time. During the course of his career, Hopkins was a cowboy and dispatch rider for the U.S. cavalry--and had once been billed as the greatest rider the West had ever known. The Sheik puts his claim to the test, pitting the American cowboy and his mustang, Hidalgo, against the world's greatest Arabian horses and Bedouin riders--some of whom are determined to prevent a foreigner from finishing the race. For Frank, the Ocean of Fire becomes not only a matter of pride and honor, but a race for his very survival as he and his horse attempt the impossible. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (6)
The few technically well-done action scenes in Hidalgo are offset by a few repulsively kitschy poetic scenes. And the better parts of the screenplay in which something interesting happens are offset by unnecessary digressions that only slow the whole film down. The race itself ends up comprising barely a third of the film. Viggo Mortensen is fine here, but not great.
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A naive adventure film of the old school. It reminded me a lot of the May films from Arabia, but with a more generous budget. The cinematography and production design are good, the digital effects and the script not so much. The rest (i.e. the whole lot) is a grey, bland average.
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A classic adventure template in a striking and, to my great joy, irresistible packaging. Mortensen in a hat and on a horse, a beautiful princess, cunning enemies, unexpected friends, and sandy mountains. In the end, it could be a disappointment or a solid average for the average viewer, but for me, it's a soothing balm for the soul. That's how Kara Ben Nemsi could have turned out if Harald Reinl had caught him a long time ago, just like the classic Vinnetou films.
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A typical example of an average big-budget film. There’s not much going on other than a few action scenes, a bit of romance, a few nice shots of the desert at sunset. You can really feel the smell of Hollywood's commercialism here.
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I actually liked it. The beauty of the desert captured by beautiful cinematography, beautiful animals, beautiful music… Yeah, a lot of beautiful things. Plus a likeable cast and a script that, although clichéd, is at least suspenseful. Another pop-corn flick by Johnson.
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Viggo Mortensen is great even in this adventure film, which could almost evoke some of those old good stories from the turn of the century. It has all the qualifications: Interesting locations, quite good characters, and competitiveness. However, even from this cocktail, they failed to squeeze out something substantial, and the right atmosphere simply didn't resonate with me.
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