A sandstorm of epic proportions. A swarm of locusts so massive it obliterates the relentless sun. Deadly traps that defy imagination. These are just a few of the astonishing obstacles Frank T. Hopkins, the greatest long-distance racer ever, faces in the rousing action-adventure HIDALGO. Based on a true story and starring Viggo Mortensen (THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy), Hopkins (Mortensen) and his mustang Hidalgo enter the ultimate extreme sport of its time — the Ocean Of Fire. Underdogs challenging the finest Arabian horses and riders, they must not only survive the grueling race across 3,000 miles of the Arabian Desert’s punishing terrain, but they must thwart the evil plots of competitors who vow victory at all costs! A great story of personal triumph, amazing special effects, and memorable characters make HIDALGO one of the most thrilling adventures ever.Director Joe Johnston has always had an entertaining sense of adventure, and with Hidalgo he proves it in spades. It’s yet another underrated film for Johnston (along with such enjoyable popcorn flicks as The Rocketeer and Jurassic Park III), dismissed by many critics but a welcome treat for anyone drawn to good ol’-fashioned movie excitement. In his first role since playing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Viggo Mortensen brings handsome appeal to his low-key portrayal of Frank T. Hopkins, a real-life long-distance horse racer who, as the movie opens, has witnessed the appalling massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890. Drifting into Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, he agrees to compete, with his trusty mustang, Hidalgo, in “The Ocean of Fire,” a treacherous 3,000-mile horse race across the Arabian desert. Toss in a bunch of conspiring competitors, a noble sheik (Omar Sharif), his lovely daughter (Zuleikha Robinson), and enough fast-paced danger to fill 133 minutes, and you’ve got a rousing, humorous, and lightly spiritual adventure that’s a lot of fun to watch. It hardly matters that it’s almost pure fiction (the real Hopkins was known by many as “a pathological liar”). More important is the love of movies and moviemaking that Johnston so delightfully conveys. –Jeff Shannon
April 11, 2008
#1
If there was a dog symbol or the option of choosing no stars, I would have done that instead. This is quite possibly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. The acting is garbage (Hollywood cheese at its finest), the action scenes have been done countless times before, and the special effects $’s could have been better used on a more proficient line producer and a better equipped cast of actors. Vigo is no Aragorn here and that’s not the point. The point is that his acting in this movie just plain sucks. Don’t give Hollywood your hard earned dollars for this piece of crap, buy a used copy of Raiders of the Lost Ark instead.
April 11, 2008
#2
Boy, Viggio sure wasted all that cache he accumulated while playing Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings. What a waste of talent. The story is pathetic and Viggio looks like a dork wearing that ridiculous hat-reminds me of Dukakis wearing that helmet in the tank. Cinematography is nice, but it can’t make up for the rest of this dud. Don’t even bother renting it.
April 11, 2008
#3
Viggo Mortensen is a hottie!!!!!!!!!!!!! And so is Hidalgo!(but mostly Viggo!) The tower boy is kinda cute too!
April 11, 2008
#4
I really wanted to like this movie, but what a disappointment. The screenplay is clumsy and clichéd, the pacing is wildly uneven, you’ll miss two of the big-money special effects sequences (a sandstorm and a plague of locusts) if you blink, and the overall impression is one of bloat, tedium, and wasted potential. Yes, it’s handsomely photographed and decently cast. But for an adventure film, it commits an unpardonable sin: It’s relentlessly boring, generating almost no suspense, thrills or emotional involvement. No wonder the movie died at the box office — the word-of-mouth must have been tepid at best. Before shelling out money for this DVD, do yourself a favor: Don’t just rely on the four-star amazon reviews. Instead, for a more balanced appraisal, visit http://www.rottentomatoes.com to read the assembled reviews from a broad cross-section of critics and you’ll get a truer sense of the quality of “Hidalgo.” As one critic aptly put it, “You’re constantly aware of the gulf between how the movie wants to excite you and the halfhearted execution.” This failed effort is all the more disappointing since the screenplay is credited to John Fusco, who also wrote the animated “Spirit – Stallion of the Cimarron” — not only a much better horse movie, but a much better movie, period.
April 11, 2008
#5
This is one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. I knew from the very beginning of the movie that there was no way I was going to be able to stay awake through the whole thing. I was right; I fell asleep about fifteen minutes into it. Recently, I was offered the chance to watch it again. I thought, “OK, I didn’t see the whole thing, it might have gotten better, so I’ll give it another chance.” … Bad mistake. This little tale about a horse race across a vast desert did nothing to hold my interest for very long. Hidalgo is the name of the horse. So what? That’s about as boring as this movie. So why the 1-star markup? Cause the main character is played by Viggo Mortensen, of Aragorn fame in the smash movie series The Lord of the Rings- and I do like Viggo. I did not, however, like this movie. It’s kind of fitting it should be set in a desert- cause that’s exactly where this movie should be buried, never to bore another wave of audiences again. If you find yourself overworked and in need of a nice long nap, watch Hidalgo; you’ll be out in no time.