The Bottom Line
I was a fan of Viggo Mortensen's before he hit it big with the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The man's talented enough to carry movies that might fail with other actors. In the case of "Hidalgo," Viggo makes a just okay movie watchable.
Pros
- Features Viggo Mortensen on horseback - isn't that reason enough to watch this movie?
Cons
- A surprisingly small amount of bonus features
Description
- "Sand & Celluloid" - Behind the scenes featurette on constructing the sets and shooting the movie
- Short featurette on Frank T. Hopkins
- "America's First Horse" - Featurette created for viewing on your computer
- DVD Release Date: August 3, 2004
Guide Review - "Hidalgo" DVD Review
Based on true events, Viggo Mortensen stars as Frank T. Hopkins, one of the greatest long distance horse racers in history. After conquering races in America, Hopkins is challenged to bring his little mustang - Hidalgo - to the Arabian Desert for a grueling, torturous 3,000 mile race. Facing windstorms, a swarm of locusts, and the treachery of fellow competitors, Hidalgo and Hopkins try to prove the American horse is just as good (if not better) than the finest Arabian horses.
There's no question of Viggo Mortensen's ability to captivate an audience. However with "Hidalgo," despite Mortensen's magnetism, the film feels a bit uneven, like it's unable to find the right mix of action-adventure, drama, and romance. Only when Mortensen is interacting with his horse does the movie really find the right footing.
The product of a major studio, "Hidalgo" on DVD includes only two real bonus features. With the amount of time and money spent on the film, you'd expect more from the DVD than a couple of 'Making Of' featurettes.
