Hidalgo (2004)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writer (WGA):

John Fusco (written by)

Release Date:

5 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

The True Story Of A Man Who Went Halfway Around The World To Find Himself.

Plot:

Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world...

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Race | Cowboy | Massacre | Pony Express

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Viggo Mortensen	...	Frank Hopkins
Zuleikha Robinson	...	Jazira
Omar Sharif	...	Sheikh Riyadh
Louise Lombard	...	Lady Anne Davenport
Adam Alexi-Malle	...	Aziz
Saïd Taghmaoui	...	Prince Bin Al Reeh
Silas Carson	...	Katib
Harsh Nayyar	...	Yusef
J.K. Simmons	...	Buffalo Bill Cody
Adoni Maropis	...	Sakr
Victor Talmadge	...	Rau Rasmussen
Peter Mensah	...	Jaffa
Joshua Wolf Coleman	...	The Kurd
Franky Mwangi	...	Slave Boy
Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman	...	Chief Eagle Horn (as Floyd Red Crow Westerman)

Also Known As:

Dash (Philippines: English title) (review title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and some mild innuendo.

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Arabic | Sioux

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:U | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40252) | Sweden:11 | South Korea:12 | Norway:15 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Germany:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | UK:12A

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

When distributed in Egypt, the Arabic translation of "fifth wife" is "fourth wife" since in Islam you are not permitted to have more than four wives. See also the goofs.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Scene at the well features British soldiers preventing the main character from getting water. In 1890, the race route went through the Ottoman Empire. The British did not have a military presence in that area until after World War One.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Frank T. Hopkins: [to Hidalgo] C'mon little brother. Checkout time. Yeah.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Shrek 2 (2004)

Soundtrack:

Wyoming Days

Feel good movie - start to finish ~!

Hidalgo is one of those movies that comes along once in a blue moon. This is a movie NOT to be missed.

Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of a gentle, laid-back cowboy hearkens back to the golden age of cinema and would make the likes of Gary Cooper proud! His subtle blend of virtue such as honor, honest and pride - without being the least bit preachy, make watching his performance an utter joy.

All of the actors are brilliant in their roles, especially the one in the title role! Hidalgo is clever and entertaining without being unbelievable as many animal movies are these days. You won't find him standing on his hind legs and doing the hokey-pokey, but his talents are very evident and he becomes a hero that we all love before the end of the movie.

One of the best parts of this movie is the fact that it is a movie by grownups for grownups, although it carries enough action and suspense that kids will probably like it to. Absent, however is the sickeningly sweet "kids scenes" that we simply cannot get away from in movies today. No charming close ups of dimple-faced waifs. No little wise-mouthed child prodigies - nothing but good old fashioned grown-up fun! How refreshing.

You will be happy to know that the ending isn't as predictable as it could have been. Although falling into the "happy" category (of course), there are poignant moments and you might shed a tear.

One other aspect of this film which I found intriguing is the issue of examining and accepting who we are. It was very well done and meaningful.

Overall this film is easily a 10+. Please see it