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After three years of watching Viggo Mortensen play Aragorn in the Lord of the
Rings trilogy (see my review of the
second movie in the series), I became a fan—so I was eager to see him in a major
non-Shire role.
In Hidalgo, Mortensen plays Frank Hopkins, a
cowboy who, with his Mustang, Hidalgo, has seen his share of long-distance races. But
he’s never seen anything like the Ocean of Fire—a 3,000-mile race across the Arabian
desert. Lured by the challenge—and the $100,000 prize—Frank and Hidalgo head
east.
Frank quickly discovers that the Ocean of Fire is more than just a
race to those involved. It’s a matter of pride and honor, life and death—and they’re not
about to let a foreigner win. Omar Sharif plays a sheik who takes an interest in the
cowboy—as does his daughter, who wishes that she, too, could race (but she’s just a lowly
woman).
Hidalgo is a captivating epic-Western (with plenty of humor
thrown in to keep it light), based on a true story. Sure, I had a pretty good idea of
what was going to happen right from the beginning (though there were definitely a few
surprises). And sure, in the 1800s, common servants in the Middle East most likely
didn’t speak English. But it’s a movie. It’s supposed to be entertaining—and
that’s precisely what Hidalgo is. I instantly found myself caught up in the
story—and intrigued by the characters. The scenery is breathtaking (and so are the
horses), and the story is enchanting and uplifting. And Mortensen didn’t disappoint me,
either—he played Hopkins with that subtle Aragorn-like strength that we all know and
love.
Hidalgo is a movie that I could definitely see again—and
one that I don’t hesitate to recommend.
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