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Omar Sharif and Zuleikha Robinson

Therein lies Hidalgo's greatest weakness. It's a little too adult for small children under the age of ten, and at 30 minutes too long, it's too boring for older kids. Plus, between the Sioux and the Bedouins, you'll swear there are nearly as many subtitles as there were in The Passion of The Christ. Conversely, much of the action and dialogue make the movie too lightweight and immature for most adults—not to mention familiar. Like the mustang at the heart of it, Hidalgo is a mixed breed of many other films. Start with the fallen soldier prologue in The Last Samurai or Dances With Wolves, add the scenery of Lawrence of Arabia, throw in a sandstorm similar to the one in The Mummy, liberally sprinkle in action straight out of Indiana Jones and B-movie westerns, and of course, let's not forget the horse race of Seabiscuit.

Some sources have suggested that this movie's release date was pushed back from November 2003 to distance itself from Seabiscuit. I'd say the primary reason is that it's just not that good, although I too found it impossible to not compare the two films by the end. Both center on dramatic races, both horses are considered underdogs, and both riders are searching for personal redemption from their pasts. Despite knowing the outcome to Seabiscuit, that film is carried by superb acting, inspired storytelling, and some truly exciting scenes. Despite some enjoyable moments, those very qualities are generally lacking here. If I were to compare this film to a race, I'd have to say that Hidalgo loses by a nose.

Photos © 2004 Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Talk About It

1. Knowing that the facts of the story behind this movie are in dispute, does it matter in the film's enjoyment?
   
   
2. Talk about the differences between Muslim beliefs of Allah's will (i.e. predestination) and the free will represented by Hopkins and Western beliefs. What does Scripture have to say about predestination vs. free will?
   
   
3. At what point does Hopkins find personal redemption? What do we need to leave behind in our own lives in order to move forward and pursue God's will?
   
   
4. Compare the perseverance of Hopkins and Hidalgo against all odds with the spiritual race we run every day toward sanctification in Christ (1 Cor. 9:24-27).
   
   

The Family Corner

This movie has earned a soft PG-13. It's not as violent as Indiana Jones or The Mummy, but there is much action violence involving swordplay. There are a handful of deaths by impaling, and a bloodless, cartoonish beheading. Kids are more likely to be disturbed by a brief scene of relatively graphic horse surgery. As for the mild innuendo, there is one retort about impotency that will sail over the heads of young kids. A significant plot development involves some light humor surrounding the Middle Eastern punishment for adultery; while they never use the word "castration," be prepared to explain the scene to younger children.

Crowds continued to gather this week to watch Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn fight orcs in the Oscar-winning epic The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. At the same time, longer lines formed for Mortensen's new starring role in a different adventure film. Hidalgo, the new film from director Joe Johnston (Jumanji, Jurassic Park III), chronicles the "true story" of Frank T. Hopkins, a Native American who championed a mustang named Hidalgo as a racehorse and entered him in a 3,000-mile race across the Arabian desert.

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls Hidalgo a "sand-sational, fact-based crowd-pleaser. Part old-fashioned boys' action-adventure yarn, part redemption parable … Johnston's movie weds a strong narrative and sweeping visuals to craft a winning tale of friendship, forgiveness, fate and the indomitable spirit of man."

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Related Elsewhere:

After Aragorn	Printer view
In his first feature film since Lord of the Rings, Viggo Mortensen is an adventurous cowboy in Hidalgo, a yarn that doesn't get all the facts right. But that's just fine with this myth-loving leading man.