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Review: Mortensen good, but 'Hidalgo' trite
« on: Mar 8th, 2004, 3:42pm » |
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Review: Mortensen good, but 'Hidalgo' trite
By Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Saturday, March 6, 2004 Posted: 9:29 AM EST (1429 GMT)
(AP) -- Viggo Mortensen goes from ruling Middle-earth to racing across the Middle East in "Hidalgo," a movie that's so retro, it's almost quaint -- especially compared to the nouveau computer-generated spectacle of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
You'd think Mortensen would be tired of riding a horse by now -- and sore -- but he's back in the saddle again, this time playing a real guy, cowboy Frank T. Hopkins. (Not that Aragorn isn't a real guy, of course. Settle down, hobbits.)
A famed long-distance rider, Hopkins competed with his mustang, Hidalgo, in a 3,000-mile race across the Arabian desert in 1890. And he was the unexpected winner, even though he was the first American to take part in the event, known ominously as the Ocean of Fire.
His story has resulted in a big, beautiful film that could have come out 40 years ago, full of horses and camels and scorpions, with blinding sun and brutal terrain. The American underdog is the unequivocal good guy and all the Arabs are baddies, and there's no doubt who will win in the end.
But despite the sweeping vistas and dazzling sunsets, it's hard not to be distracted by how derivative director Joe Johnston's film is.
There are giant chunks taken from the "Indiana Jones" movies, especially in Mortensen's permanently cheeky manner as he navigates his way through various sandswept adventures.
"Lawrence of Arabia" obviously springs to mind, especially with Omar Sharif playing the powerful Sheikh Riyadh, against whose horses Hopkins is competing. (It is marvelous, though, to see Sharif's formidable presence on the big screen again after nearly a decade-long absence, and the role is a perfect fit.)
Hopkins' journey from post-Wounded Knee inebriation to self-possessed steeliness in a foreign land recalls Tom Cruise in "The Last Samurai" (which recalled Kevin Costner in "Dances With Wolves").
A suffocating sandstorm and an attack of locusts, while impressive, are reminiscent of the Brendan Fraser "Mummy" movies.
And comparisons to another film based on a true story, "Seabiscuit," are inevitable: The rider is too big and the horse is too small, and no one thinks they can win against a sea of vastly superior animals.
Among their adversaries is Lady Davenport (Louise Lombard), a snooty British horsewoman who seems to have schlepped her entire bedroom out to the desert for maximum comfort while following her rider's progress. She also tries to coax Hopkins into that bedroom, with little success; besides, he's secretly attracted to the sheikh's feisty daughter, Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), who wants to jump on the back of a horse and compete, too.
The race itself, ironically, is the most boring part of a film that's too often sluggishly paced. After the riders bolt from the starting line at full speed and leave the spectators' sight, they slow to a walk across the merciless expanses of sand.
It's hard to understand why Hopkins would subject himself to such torture -- not because Mortensen is incapable of bringing him to life, but because John Fusco's script doesn't give him much to work with. There's no fire in Hopkins' belly, no compulsion to fight.
Though Mortensen was the king of the "Rings" movies, he was one part of an enormous ensemble. This is his first shot at playing the lead, and he has the piercing eyes, rugged good looks and quiet intensity for the role.
Hidalgo himself, by the way, is no slouch in the acting department. He whinnies and grunts and looks soulful at all the right moments. You almost expect him to open his mouth and talk -- after all, he is a Disney horse -- but "Hidalgo" is too true to its old-school heritage to let him do that.
"Hidalgo," a Touchstone Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for adventure, violence and some mild innuendo. Running time: 136 minutes.
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