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Hidalgo (Widescreen Edition)Rating:
Release Date: 03 August, 2004 Retail Price: $14.99 OUR Price: $10.99 You SAVE: $4.00! Cast: |
Hidalgo (Widescreen Edition) Reviews
"Nobody Hurts My Horse" ~ Life After Aragorn
Surprisingly `Hidalgo' released in '04 didn't live up to studio expectations in terms of either financial earnings, or audience appeal. Only now, two years after its release is this fantastic action/adventure film finding on DVD the adoring audience it so richly deserves. I was initially confused by this movies unexpected lack of acceptance by the public, however after pondering the complexities of this failure for some time I have come to the following conclusion. It was all Aragorn's fault. Yes, that's correct, it was Aragorn's fault. Here are the reasons why I believe this to be true.
`Hidalgo' was Viggo Mortensen's first film following his co-starring role in the massive and unbelievably successful three film production of `The Lord of the Rings.' His long matted hair, scruffy beard and moustache along with those distant, piercing eyes have been forever imprinted into the collective unconscious of every moviegoer. The shock of seeing Viggo as Frank T. Hopkins, American cowboy in a funny hat and bandana, much shorter cropped hair, clean shaven and riding on a little spotted mustang was simply too much for 'the faithful' to handle. Viggo's fan base simply wasn't ready to give up the image of the King of Middle-Earth yet. Unable to accept the new look, people stayed away from the theaters thus turning Disney's expected big drawing card into a major strategic error. To put it plan and simple, `Hidalgo' came out too soon.
If you're finally willing to move beyond the Aragorn persona and see a fast moving, well acted, beautifully shot film with a inspiring story to tell I invite you to give `Hidalgo' a viewing. Viggo is perfect as the half Indian, half white man who rides the little Pinto that never gives up and Omar Sharif delivers his best performance since `Lawrence of Arabia'. He's alert, witty and absolutely delightful as the sometimes harsh, sometimes whimsical Sheikh Riyadh who likes to sit in his tent and read tales of the American Wild West. It's obvious he really enjoyed playing this part. Also excellent performances by Zuleikha Robinson as Jazira, Adoni Maropis as Sakr and a whole cast of exotic, fascinating characters participating in the torturous 3,000 mile desert horse race across the "Ocean of Fire".
Highly Recommended!
Classic film making on a grand scale. A truly epic film.
Hidalgo is based upon a true story, so it's no wonder it's thrilling, truth being stranger than fiction and all. Although it's highly doubtful that everything in the movie actually happened, Frank Hopkins was indeed a real life cowboy, master horseman and rider and he did participate in the great Bedouin horse race of the Middle East known as the "Ocean of Fire" in the 1890's.
This wonderfully stylized and lovingly crafted film clocks in at over two hours, yet never bores and your interest should never waver. The international cast is terrific, led by Viggo Mortensen in a low-key, subtle performance which brings depth and a real sense of nobility to the notion of a "cowboy'. We've seen loads of silver screen gun slingers, bandits and marshals from icons like the swaggering John Wayne to the laconic Clint Eastwood, but with Viggo's Frank Hopkins, we may now be witness to one of the most balanced and interesting portrayals of an authentic cowpoke. And it's all the more interesting because Frank Hopkins isn't all cowboy - half of him is Native American. This internal duality and cultural division brings character shadings and a unique sense of perspective to Hopkins.
Balancing the tensions of Native Americans with the US Government of the time, the film explores Frank Hopkin's journey between two worlds - that of a half Native American with loyal ties to his tribe and his jobs as a pony express rider and performer in Wild Bill Hickcock's show, all while having to live in the White Man's world. When he's invited to participate in the Bedouin Race, Frank soon discovers there's a whole other world out there bound by similar dogmatic traditions, where women must hide their faces behind veils, much like he's chosen to hide his native ancestry to enable him to live an easier life.
Sweeping cinematography beautifully composes authentic locations and the stunt choreography infuses the race and the action set-ups with fun and authenticity. Viggo must have definitely "lived" horses for the film, irregardless of his prior expertise with them. He clearly is at the reigns of the horse most of the time and he's totally capable and always convincing. Hidalgo the horse may qualify for his own sequel or a TV series. This beautiful animal is more expressive than many human actors and it's just one of the many joys and reasons to give this film a chance. Apparently lost by audiences in it's initial theatrical release, Hidalgo should be discovered by every movie lover.
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