Today’s quick review: Hidalgo. Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen), a long-distance horse racer mourning the massacre of his people the Sioux, finds new purpose when Sheikh Ridyah (Omar Sharif) challenges him to compete in the Ocean of Fire, a 3,000-mile race across the Arabian Desert and beyond. There, Hopkins pits his scrappy mustang Hidalgo against the Sheikh’s champion Al-Hattal, a thoroughbred of legendary lineage.
Hidalgo is a historical adventure about a man, his horse, and one of the most grueling endurance races in the world. Hidalgo features a dramatic long-distance race, a sprinkling of action, and a rare glimpse at the late 19th century. Between the overwhelming odds, Frank’s perseverance, and the clash of cultures on display, the movie makes for a fairly credible drama. However, it lacks the depth or intensity to be truly moving.
Hidalgo suffers from slow pacing. The race itself is more a trek than a sprint, and the movie takes its time getting set up at the beginning. Further delays come from a handful of subplots that flesh out Frank’s character and showcase the local culture. None of these subplots is out of place, but taken together they sap away what momentum the movie manages to build up. The result is a story that gets where it’s going at its own deliberate pace.
Frank Hopkins makes for a passable protagonist. Three traits explain most of his character: his cowboy personality, his Sioux heritage, and his affection for his horse. Seeing him regain his fire is rewarding, but the shift is too subtle to feel like a real triumph. The same goes for the action. Frank has to fight his way out of several sticky situations, but they feel like exceptions to the rule, brief lapses in an arduous but fundamentally civil race.
Those who enjoy historical dramas or tales of perseverance may want to give Hidalgo a shot. Though fictionalized, the movie does a fine job of capturing its historical setting. And while its drama doesn’t hit as hard as it could have, the story is fundamentally a good one. Skip it if you’re looking for a hot-blooded adventure or a truly moving drama.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a decent story with slow pacing and mixed payoff.