Hidalgo

Release Date: March 5, 2004
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Joe Johnston
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, Zuleikha Robinson, Louise Lombard, Said Taghmaoui, Adam Alexi-Malle, Peter Mensah, Malcolm McDowell
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for adventure violence and some mild innuendo)
Official Website: Hidalgo.movies.com

Plot Summary: Based on the true story of the greatest long-distance horse race ever run, "Hidalgo" is an epic action-adventure and one man's journey of personal redemption. 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 and his horse to enter the race for the first time. Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen) was a cowboy and dispatch rider for the US cavalry who had once been billed as the greatest rider the West had ever known. The Sheik (Sharif) would put 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 were determined to prevent the 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, Hidalgo, attempt the impossible.

Review By: Blake French
- Don't be deceived -- get out of cinema quick!

When I think about Hidalgo, I think about soup. No, not because I’m craving a bowl of hot, hearty chicken and noodle—although that does sound delicious—but because Hidalgo and soup have a few things in common (metaphorically speaking, of course). Tasty soup calls for a tasty foundation: the broth. Similarly, an interesting film calls for an interesting foundation: the premise. Both products require more than just a decent starting point, however; the proper ingredients must be added. In Hidalgo’s case, the chef added a cup of chili powder to clam chowder broth, which—to say the least—slightly overwhelms the overall flavor.

Though, Hidalgo does have an appetizing premise. It profiles the life of Frank T. Hopkins, a real person who earned a place in history as the greatest long-distance endurance horseback rider. The part-Lakota and part non-Indian perfected his riding skills while working as a cowboy and dispatch rider for the US cavalry. He won more than four hundred long distance races during the late 1800’s, and eventually entered his paint mustang into a 3,000-mile endurance race across the Arabian Desert (the race this film explores).

Viggo Mortensen (who played Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings films) portrays Hopkins. As the movie opens, he’s said to be the greatest rider in the west. Intrigued by his reputation, a wealthy Sheik (Omar Sharif) convinces Hopkins to enter the "Ocean of Fire," a horserace that begins in southern Arabia, and follows the Persian Gulf before turning inland, following the borders of Arabia, Iraq, and Syria, for a total of 3,000 miles. Feeling guilty about the massacre that recently occurred at Wounded Knee, Hopkins decides to leave his broken life and travel overseas to participate in the race.

So far, the film is pretty interesting. Soon enough, however, it wanders from the intriguing premise. Writer John Fusco and director Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park 3) contribute unnecessary ingredients. (Apparently, a journey across multiple Middle Eastern countries on horseback isn’t adventurous enough). They incorporate subplots involving a kidnapped princess, mustache-twirling villains, corrupt politics, a murder scheme, double-crosses, and more. Hopkins becomes another lasso whirling, pistol twirling Indiana Jones look-alike, dodging knives, bullets, and spears, escaping from elaborate traps, rescuing helpless women, encountering deadly sandstorms, evading swarms of locusts, and battling hungry wildcats.

The movie becomes a corny, contrived, unconvincing mess. Leave it to Hollywood to turn an amazing true story about courage and self-redemption into a shameless action extravaganza. Yet, Hidalgo still wants you to take it seriously—it wants to have its cake and eat it too. When the film is ready to settle down, however, it’s too late, and the results are unintentionally hilarious. I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from laughing out loud at one particular scene. Late in the race, Hopkins and his horse are injured, dehydrated, and overheated. Hopkins is ready to give up, but before he does, chanting Indian ghosts appear and begin dancing around him. Captivated by the moment, Hopkins soon finds himself chanting and singing along with the Indian ghosts. The scene, which is meant to be reverent and solemn, can only be compared to Ben Stein doing a Richard Simmons commercial.

Hidalgo finds its intentional sense of humor in Hopkins’ inability to blend with foreign cultures. At times, the cultural clash is funny. Hopkins, a gentleman, is humble and courteous, yet unfamiliar with the traditions of the prominent, dignified characters he meets in Arabia. For instance: when Hopkins meets a wealthy woman, she extends her hand, expecting a polite kiss. Instead, Hopkins grabs her hand and gives it a good ol’ cowboy handshake. Such moments are entertaining, but cannot overcome the fact that Hidalgo is more unintentionally comical than deliberately amusing.

The title is somewhat misleading. Hidalgo refers to the name of Hopkins’ horse. It leads us to presume Hidalgo has great importance in the film; after all, most movies titled after animal characters actually invest time in the animal (i.e. Lassie, Babe, Seabiscuit). Strangely, Hidalgo does no such thing and gives the horse very little significance. Beyond Hopkins treating Hidalgo kindly, there is virtually no emotional bond between the two. Frankly, it doesn’t appear that Hidalgo means much to Hopkins at all. I am not saying that the two do not value and respect each another; they just don’t have the kind of connection that I expect from a film of this nature.

Viggo Mortensen is a talented actor. He has impressed in nearly every in which he has appeared. From 28 Days to A Perfect Murder, it always looks as if he feels passionate about his work. In Hidalgo, however, he’s turning over a new leaf. It looks like he’s just earning a paycheck. His performance feels empty and contained—almost as if he’s going through the motions. This is unfortunate since—despite solid supporting performances—Mortensen is the only household name in the cast and sells the movie single-handedly.

In spite of an interesting "true story" premise, Hidalgo loses focus too early and quickly becomes a laughable attempt to mimic the success of recent horserace films like Seabiscuit. There is one scene, however, that is enjoyable. Late in the movie, Hopkins releases wild horses from captivity. As they trample the gates in a thunderous stampede, sweeping music by James Newton Howard fills the soundtrack, and the camera pans across the vast country plains, observing, in slow motion, the animals returning to their beloved freedom. As I watched this, I saw myself as one of the horses, released from the film’s captivity, leading a stampede of rowdy audience members back to our beloved freedom: the exit.