Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Zuleikha Robinson, Omar Sharif, Louise Lombard

Director: Joe Johnston

Summary: A breathtakingly photographed, epic western like none produced for decades, HIDALGO recounts the life of legend Frank T. Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen). Set in the 1800s, this family film chronicles the triumphant victory won by Frank and his mustang Hidalgo in the Ocean of Fire, an often-fatal competition in which the best riders and thoroughbreds race across Middle Eastern deserts. For Frank, who is known in the west for his prowess as a Pony Express rider and the winner of long-distance horse races, the lure of the Ocean of Fire is not only the $100,000 purse but also the clear challenge--both of which prove irresistible, and inspire him to travel across the world for this life-altering experience.<BR>With sweeping landscapes that evoke John Ford westerns like STAGECOACH and THE SEARCHERS, HIDALGO features enough racing, rivalry, and romance to befit any action film. But the race also provides a vehicle for the story of Frank forgiving himself for his participation in the Wounded Knee slaughter and accepting his part-Indian ancestry. The film's message, highlighted in a particularly moving scene where Frank invokes the spirits of his Native American ancestors, is that the key to happiness is accepting yourself as you are.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on March 29, 2006 2:27 PM

Filled with heroic action , incredible special effects , stunning cinematography , and starring Viggo Mortensen , Golden Globe winner Omar Sharif and sexy newcomer Zuleikha Robinson ,
HIDALGO is the epic adventure that brings to life legendary Frank T.
Hopkins ( Viggo Mortensen ) , the greatest long distance rider ever ,
and his beloved mustang Hidalgo . With his glory days long past ,
Hopkins is invited to enter the Ocean Of Fire , a death defying 3,000 -
mile race across the Arabian Desert . Pitted against the finest Arabian horses and villainous competitors vowing victory at all costs , this race for extraordinary riches becomes a race for their lives.

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Director Joe Johnston has always had an entertaining sense of adventure, and with Hidalgohe proves it in spades. It's yet another underrated film for Johnston (along with such enjoyable popcorn flicks as The Rocketeerand 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 Ringstrilogy, 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

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	2004
Release Date:	August 30, 2004
Runtime:	131 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B E D 881342
Keywords:	Action, General, Adventure, Hidalgo
Genre:	Action/Adventure