:
Viggo Mortensen,
Viggo Mortensen,
Omar Sharif,
more...
:
Joe Johnston,
Joe Johnston
see all cast/crew...
: 
: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
: Costume Drama/Period Piece, Adventure
: 136 min.
: English, Spanish, French
: English, Spanish, French
see additional details...
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Actor Viggo Mortensen made his first starring appearance in a film after his breakthrough performance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy with this period adventure. Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen) is a U.S. Cavalry officer who earned a reputation as one of the fastest and most daring riders in the West; however, after taking part in the bloody massacre at Wounded Knee, Hopkins becomes disenchanted with the Cavalry, and once his hitch is up, he takes a job as a rider with a seedy touring Wild West show. During an engagement in New York, Hopkins meets Aziz (Adam Alexi-Malle), an associate of wealthy Bedouin Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif), who knows of Hopkins' talents and wants him to take part in "The Ocean of Fire," an annual 3,000-mile desert horse race running from Arabia to Iraq. Hopkins accepts the invitation and sails to the Middle East with his trusty mustang Hidalgo without knowing just what he's getting himself into. Once he arrives, Hopkins learns that the punishing race course claims the lives of nearly half its contestants, and that most of his competitors ride pure-bred Arabian stallions and do not regard Hidalgo and his master as worthy adversaries. Temporarily exiled to a land where freedom eludes the multitudes and class and wealth define one's fate, Hopkins finds himself riding for both honor and principle, with the support of Riyadh and his beautiful, headstrong daughter, Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), though the Sheikh's nephew Katib (Silas Carson) is equally determined to see Hopkins go down in defeat. Hidalgo was directed by Joe Johnston, who previously worked with animals on the run in Jumanji and Jurassic Park III. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Special Features:
- "Sand & Celluloid" Making-Of Featurette - a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects and the adventure of making Hidalgo
- "America's First Horse" Enhanced Computer Feature - venture beyond the movie to the incredible story of Hidalgo's ancestors, the Spanish Mustangs
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| Great movie but also great fiction
by ChiyoDad
November 28, 2004 - 8:31 PM PST
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1 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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If it were billed as a fictional piece, I probably would have given Hidalgo a 9 out of 10. The action is nicely scripted, the pace is thrilling, the cinematography rich, and the acting is quite good. Even with its PG-13 rating (for violence and a brief but unconsumated attempt at seduction) it works well as a family film. Most folks would enjoy it.
Alas, the studio opted to claim that it is based on a true story. For that, I have knocked off a couple of points (albeit others might be justified in just ranking it 1 out of 10 for false advertising). The story of Hidalgo seems to be based solely on Frank Hopkins' own writings which, much to my disappointment, could not be corroborated by historical fact and even geographical reality. At worst, a number of Hopkins' accounts contradicted historical records including those of the Buffalo Bill Historical Center itself.
That's a real pity because it's such an enjoyable action film. It's like discovering that your favorite mint ice cream was really cold shaving foam mixed with Splenda (after you ate and thoroughly enjoyed it). Sure, many movies based on true stories take considerable artistic license. In this case, there wasn't even any license to be granted. |
| western drama
by NMalik
August 20, 2004 - 7:16 AM PDT
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1 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| The film was filled with misrepresentation of the middle east. As if all the poor class there are africans and arabs live in style. Film was entertaining but didnt like its portrayal of arabs. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 5.58)
73 Votes
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