Hidalgo

After a slow start, it moves.

This big-budget western bears a striking resemblance to the recent Tom Cruise vehicle "The Last Samurai," though it's more fun and less pretentious.

Like most movies about men and horses, Hidalgo spares no expense in matters of corniness. Set in the 1890s, it's sort of a throwback movie, executed with the boyish kick of dusty old cowboy matinees.

Fortunately, most of the malarkey in this movie seems intentional in the same Sunday-afternoon-serial way as the Indiana Jones movies (some of which Johnston worked on).

An adventure that never met a cliche it couldn't saddle, mount and ride for a butt-numbing two hours and sixteen minutes.

You might expect "Seabiscuit" meets "Lawrence of Arabia," but overall, it's a big, beautiful bore.

If it weren't for Sharif's extraordinary presence, there wouldn't be a cherishable moment in the movie.

It had been a long time since I had seen this movie. It's pretty darn good for an adventure movie. I thoroughly enjoy it!

In an unfamiliar territory, everything's a big challenge. The film was inspired by the American legend Frank Hopkins and his horse Hidalgo. They sail across the oceans to the Arabian desert to take part in a race. This adventure tells their new experience in an unknown territory competing with the greatest riders of the region. Alongside a misunderstanding leads to an unexpected confrontation. From there, how they escape and make back to home halfway across the world is the remaining film to disclose. A different kind of western that takes place in the original timeline of the cowboy culture which is the late 19th century. But the film has only one cowboy, because of where the story sets in. This film came straight after LOTR. Viggo Mortensen was good and his stunts were excellent. The initial parts that commence in America was heartbreaking and I liked the conclusion as well. It reminded me the animation film 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'. Though the film was more about Frank Hopkins and the horse had a good influence on the story as the film title suggests. Long film, but worth it. Surely won't be a waste of time to give it a try. 7/10

This film has several points of interest. To begin, remember the importance of the horse to the man. The horse is truly our best friend. However, despite being an adventure film, it is not as adventurous as other such films. It has moments of great psychological depth, calm, humor and even sad moments. All this has value. I, at least, I was not displeased or felt that the film deceived me. Sometimes what deceives us is advertising. Vigo Mortensen plays the lead role, with his mustang horse, and get a good performance, full of humanity and feelings, particularly visible when you talk to the horse or recalls his forebears. Your character is a man marked by conflicts against the Indians, with whom he sympathizes, to the point of knowing the language. Omar Sharif is also participating in this film, giving life to the Arab sheik, the host horse racing that the film portrays. As usual, the actor managed another great performance. The scenarios are great, as are displayed desert landscapes. The dialogues were very well thought out and avoid inelegant words. This is a family film, essentially based on humanistic values ​​and is recommended for the whole family.

Your run of the mill "based on a true story" romanticized Hollywood semi-fiction. Vigo Mortensen makes for a convincingly dedicated cowboy in this fish-out-of-water document of an endurance race across the middle eastern desert, but can't quite turn the role into anything more substantial than a simple caricature of wild western perseverance. Far too much effort is wasted on the personification of his horse, the titular mustang Hidalgo, who all but opens his mouth and speaks by the time the film is through. Part exaggerated Disney epic and part family-friendly adventure, it's predictable and inoffensive; good for a few breathtaking landscapes and a thick, obvious underlying moral.

This film is ok. Its supposed to be based on a true story but its obviously hard to know how, if at all, accurate it is. Its pretty typical for an American film of this type - the down and out, underdog who comes out fighting. I thought it was pretty cheesy. I liked the various shots of characters/contestants silhouettes against the colourful desert sunset. Its watchable and mildly interesting but I wouldn't say it its anything special as such. The performances are ok but no more. I wouldn't go out of your way to see it as such, no.