Hidalgo

Drama | Western | Adventure | Action

MPAA RATING
PG-13 for adventure violence and some mild innuendo

136 minutes | Color
USA

WRITTEN BY
John Fusco

DIRECTED BY
Joe Johnston

THEATRICAL RELEASE
Mar 5, 2004

FILM:
October Sky
Jurassic Park III

Internet Movie Database

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Starring Viggo Mortensen, Zuleikha Robinson, Omar Sharif, Louise Lombard, Adam Alexi-Malle, Saïd Taghmaoui, Silas Carson, and Harsh Nayyar

Based on the story of long distance rider Frank T. Hopkins, Hidalgo is an epic action-adventure and one man's journey of personal redemption. (Touchstone Pictures)

All scores given by critics have been converted to a 100-point scale in the table above. When a critic does not provide a score in his/her review, we have assigned one based on the general impression given by the review.
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The average user rating for this film is
6.7 out of 10 (20 Votes).
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Wendel C. gave it a 9:
C'mon guys lighten up. This was a serial type movie the same as Flash Gordon or The Lone Ranger or any of those series from yesteryear. No one would ever take this as realism. It is part Indiana Jones meets Superman with his Superhorse. Stop with the sterotypes as no one would even remotely believe that crap. It is a popcorn movie, nothing movie and is great fun.

Michael D. gave it a 6:
Entertaining, predictable (it WAS a disney movie after all), stunning scenery, but quite racist and ethnocentric.

Hidalgo FYI gave it a 2:
It is appalling that such an irresponsible movie could be made today. This movie is teeming with negative stereotypes of Islam and Arabs. The bedouin tribe contains slave-traders, bandits and raiders, child-beaters, hostile and intolerant men who wish ill on the "infidel" and his horse, and women-subjugators. The phrases "It is Allah's will" and "The Koran says" are bandied about at the silliest occasions, and false Islamic punishments are depicted. It is astonishing that Disney stooped to this level.

J. Cinnante gave it a 10:
Cool, very cool. Jesus loved this movie. Lots of action and adventure. A movie to enjoy.

Richard D. gave it a 10:
A throwback to the great movies of the 1930's. An adventure that will keep you riveted to your seat with the hero overcoming all odds. Very well done and wonderful to see Omar back even if he is not in the saddle. A must see.

Larry O. gave it a 10:
A wonderful feel good old time exciting adventure movie along the lines of an Indiana Jones sequel.

Senor Biscuit gave it a 10:
Best movie for entertainment I have seen in a LONG time.

Triniman gave it a 4:
This film is Sea Biscuit meets Lawrence of Arabia meets Indian Jones. All the carictures that represent the worst of Hollywood, are here. Famed US cavalry dispatch rider Frank T. Hopkins and his mustang Hidalgo, get invited to the greatest cross-country horse race in the future, in Arabia. The Sheik is offended that Hopkins' horse is billed as the world's greatest long-distance rider in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Viggo Mortensen plays the lead character (although the movie is named after the horse), however, his performanace is too dry. And he mumbles several lines. Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia's Sherif Ali, plays the role of the wealthy Sheikh Riyadh, but he brings nothing but cliche to the character. Zuleikha Robinson, one of the supporting cast "spies" from The Lone Gunmen, plays the role of the Sheik's daughter, but without even attempting to hide her American accent. There's one interesting surprise, but it's not really germaine to the story. While based on a true story, this film is pure, predicatable Hollywood hokum. The dialogue is as Disney corny as it gets. And it proves that Mortensen, fresh from the triumphant LOTR trilogy, can't carry a film by himself. He's no Harrison Ford.

Jennifer B. gave it a 10:
Thank you Hollywood for making a great old time adventure movie that you can just sit back, kick off your shoes, eat some popcorn and enjoy. It is the kind of movie that we used to go see on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Outstanding, even on a sunny day.

Judy W. gave it a 7:
This was a good movie. The beginning could have been done better, but after that it was very enjoyable. The ending was extremely good. The cast did a good job. The different cultures were treated very factually, both good and bad. All in all a good Saturday afternoon popcorn flix.

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