Reno Rangan 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

SnoopyStyle Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen) is a long distance rider on his mustang Hidalgo. He's half native American but he lives as a white man. It's December 29, 1890 and he's there to see the aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre. He becomes a drunk, haunted by the event, and riding in Buffalo Bill Cody (J.K. Simmons)'s Wild West Show. He takes on a challenge from Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif) to ride in a 1000 year old 3000 mile race in the Arabian desert. Riyadh's purebred horse Al-Hattal is the favorite. His bandit nephew is jealous and looking to take the family honor of owing the prized horse. Riyadh's daughter Jazira is desperate for it to lose so she isn't forced to marry the prince rider as his 5th wife. Lady Anne Davenport has the other favorite in the race.This is an old fashion high adventure. At times, it has the feel of Indiana Jones. It's a nice underdog story. This is a throwback movie. I would like to drop the Wounded Knee reference. It's unnecessary and over-the-top. Otherwise, this is a movie from the golden age of Hollywood in the best tradition.

Rookie676 Typical cowboy movie? Maybe, maybe not... mostly not. Personally, I hate cowboy movies. My dad's sat me down and made me watch too many bad cowboy flicks, but "Hidalgo" had me hooked from the start. This had plot twists around every corner, a (somewhat) diverse set of characters, and great practical and special effects, each are ingredients to the recipe for a good movie.To be brief, the movie starts out at the end of a race in America, during the Cowboy age. Frank Hopkins (being the somewhat typical white-washed "Hollywood cowboy" with a Native American twist) has just won yet another long-distance horse race. Frank's show name in an American entertainment show gets him wrapped up in a famous race in the far-off country of Arabia. He is given vague advice, some poor instructions, and is sent off to compete in the race. Being an underdog character and a tough-as-nails, adaptable-to-everything cowboy stereotype, Frank is able to survive a massive sandstorm, locusts, starvation, heat, corruption, and anything else thrown at him. In an odd addition, Frank is sent on what can be described as a "side quest" to save the daughter, Jazira, of Sheikh, the one holding the race. Once Jazira is safe, Frank simply goes back to racing. Of course, as everyone anticipated, Frank and Hidalgo win the race after almost every damn odd was stacked against them. The casting for this movie is arguably... "okay". Frank, played by Viggo Mortensen, was introduced as a cowboy character for the most part, but with the addition that he was half Native American. This detail could have been removed/replaced and made the movie look a little less white- washed, as Frank looks entirely white. Oddly enough, the horses' acting is worth noting. The animals, no matter was situation they were put in, reacted extremely well and fitting to their scene, it's quite remarkable. Some characters could have been removed, such as Lady Anne and her forced-feeling relationship with Frank (but the cowboy always has to get the girl, right?) as well as the slave boy and Jaffa, whose parts are irrelevant other than giving Frank advice. The clashing of Frank's American culture and the Arabic culture was mixed well. Frank respects, although not happily, their customs. Not touching the Shiekh's hand (in the beginning), not helping the other racers (at first), and putting up with their "fate has been chosen already" rants. The Arabics accept that he has a "painted" horse, and is not one he bred himself, but instead tamed and befriended. Though, the Native American touch could have been ditched for something a bit more fitting, say... more American grit? Second thought, this movie has so much grit already it might burst if there is anymore added.All things considered, "Hidalgo" isn't half bad of a movie. It's got great emotional feel the whole way through, the costumes and scenery were gorgeous, and the ending was a bit disheartening yet certainly satisfying. Although, what American (such as myself) doesn't love an underdog movie with cool animals and awesomely choreographed fight scenes?

dan_marsala Usually, here in Mexico the titles of movies change radically, but not for good. For instance, "Rush Hour" movies became "An Explosive Couple", "Bourne Identity" became "Unknown Identity", "Despicable Me" becomes "My Favorite Villain". Do you know the title of Resident Evil? The Cursed Host… which actually sounds pretty good in English… but in Spanish sounds like… well. Something else that is compromised is the continuity of the following titles: like, "Resident Evil: Apocalypses" has no Spanish title, but that is another story.There are a couple of films that has been better with the title given to them here. I'm pretty sure people would have liked the more "Pearl Harbor" with the subtitle "Between Passion and Fire" on it. It prepares you for a war-romance flick (when you are watching mostly romance with war as a subject and time-space scenario, but is kind of what you were expecting).When I saw this movie on TV a couple of months ago, I didn't know it was "Hidalgo", the 2004 movie whom commercials trailers where not attractive to me. That was before I knew what it was about. This is simply one of the most entertaining pictures I have ever seen on my whole life, I've watched it like four or five times since. It has the right amount of adventure, action and comedy, half western and half racing.But I believe it could have been something different with the real name. Here, the name was the name of the race ("Ocean of Fire") which I think depicts better the script. If you consider it, "Hidalgo" prepares the spectator for a movie about the horse, something like,… I don't know, "Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron", "Babe" or something like it…"War Horse". But the story about Hidalgo, how it was born, how it was trained, the same story filmed with a different view point, focus in the horse, when it is about the cowboy, Frank Hopkins and an adventure in the middle of Arabia. So, when I heard "Ocean of Fire" I knew it was going to be about the race, but I also found a beautiful story about Indians, civil war soldiers, a terrible past and a very weird friendship.Maybe that is why I liked it so much.