Hidalgo [Blu-ray]

Posted on May 21st, 2009 by Blue Ray Movie Reviews

Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 04/01/2008 Run time: 136 minutes Rating: Pg13Director 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

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Action Packed Movie about a Horse Race
I tend to watch a lot of Westerns, so I thought I would give Hidalgo a shot since missed it when it came out a few years back. Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It has some of the characteristics I enjoy in older movie - lots of action, good plot, an understated hero, and the good guy wins the race in the end. The interesting thing about this film is that it is losely based on history, facts, and real people. I think the cast is solid, and a lot of the scenary is stunning.

The interesting contrast between American Western culture, Middle Eastern Culture, and the Native American culture I thought was pretty well done. The director makes you think, without overdoing it, or sticking with stererotypes. Hidalgo is somewhat long (over two hours), but I thought the plot moved a long at a good pace to keep you interested.

Although this is not your typical western since it is really about a horse race more than anything, I think you will enjoy it if you do like Westerns. Viggo Morensen did a nice job in the lead role.

5 Stars LOVEIT
HILDAGO IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE “WESTERN” MOVIE. I AM 66 YEARS OLD AND LOVE HORSES AND…VIGGO ALSO. THE RACE WAS SO REALISTIC I FELT I WAS A PART OF IT. WHAT AN AMAZING STORY. HAVE LOST COUNT ON HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE WATCHED IT AND I WILL WATCH IT MANY MORE.