Hidalgo
Directed by Joe Johnston
- western
- adventure
The story
Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world...
What it’s like
Wide desert vistas in hard, bleached sunlight give way to dusk-blue dunes and the warm amber glow of tented camps, with the camera often pulling back to let a lone rider and horse read small against enormous horizons. The palette shifts from dusty ochre and sand to saturated jewel tones in sheikhly courts, and the sound is big and open: thundering hooves, wind across flats, and a sweeping orchestral score that swells during races and softens around campfires. The overall vibe is sun-baked adventure with a sentimental, old-fashioned heart, a classic Saturday-afternoon epic. It suits a lazy weekend afternoon or a family movie night. The pacing is brisk and episodic, moving from one trial to the next, and the emotional register is earnest and warm, with a rugged, self-doubting cowboy slowly earning respect across cultures and a bond with his horse at its centre. Violence is present but moderate: some sword fighting and peril in the race sequences, with stylised rather than graphic harm, and no sexual content. Best for viewers who want a sweeping, good-natured desert adventure with horses and an underdog hero.
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