In the same spirit as the Indiana Jones films, with more action besides horse racing than I could have imagined.
I haven't read Hopkins' memoir, so I can't tell you if the side plot about his mixed ethnicity (Indian name, Blue Child) and his witness to the Wounded Knee Creek Massacre on December 29, 1890 is true or not. I suspect that, like his encounter with the sheikh's kindred-spirit daughter (Zuleikha Robinson), they're fabricated, because it's a little too facile to have the star of this yarn also tell you how and why that massacre happened--over a shot that was accidentally fired when a deaf Indian couldn't understand a soldier's order to hand over his weapon. It seemed to me a case of trying to justify a massacre by U.S. Cavalry when no justification is needed. It's no secret that the U.S. Government committed atrocities against indigenous tribes. Wounded Knee was only one example. If you're going to complain about stretching the truth, this whitewash is the place to do it--not the exploits of a man who may or may not have been a part of the Buffalo Bill's famed Congress of Rough Riders.
But you know what? When it comes right down to it, the only thing that needs to be credible is the movie itself, and aside from a few miraculous incidents (including a trap with sharpened spears inside it), "Hidalgo" held me and the rest of my family in rapt attention. Be warned, though, that the PG-13 rating is for violence that includes a few decapitations, so parents will want to shield the eyes of young ones during some of those battle sequences. There are some subtitles for the Arabic (though most of the nomadic people in Arabia and Iraq somehow have learned how to speak English), so smaller ones will also need to have parents do a little reading for them.
Video:
"Hidalgo" was transferred to a 50GB disc using AVC/MPEG-4 technology. I was pleasantly surprised by the 1080p picture. With all the desert conditions I expected some serious grain, but there's only a light dusting. Even the scenes intended to show the heat waves are clear despite the distortion. The palette of this film is earthy, and so it's inappropriate to talk about color saturation except to say that the colors look natural. Black levels seem lower than usual, but this too seems to be the result of desert conditions, and the detail--particularly edge detail and detail in shadow situations--is still very good. "Hidalgo" is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio.
Audio:
The English PCM 5.1 uncompressed (48kHz/24-bit) audio really booms, especially during high-intensity sequences . . . which is like most of the time. There's a nice distribution of sounds across the effects speakers to approximate the rolling progress of a sandstorm, for example--some of the best audio moments. Other times it's the music that dominates, stirring us as this marathon continues. But the dialogue never gets lost, and when quieter scenes surface there's as much clarity of sound as when things begin to rock. It's a dynamic soundtrack. Additional options are English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, which don't have quite the same fullness or vigor of the PCM. Subtitles are in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Extras:
The only two bonus features are two pre-release specials that aired on television: "Sand & Celluloid" (which, if memory serves, aired as "On the Set: Hidalgo") and "America's First Horse: Hidalgo and the Spanish Mustang." Both extras are actually pretty good, though the latter is almost as romanticized as the film. But there are no Blu-ray exclusives, either, and no commentary track.
Bottom Line:
Aside from a few graphic battle moments, "Hidalgo" is a fantastic family film that's high adventure--two popcorn bowls full. It's in the same spirit as the Indiana Jones films, with more action besides horse racing than I could have imagined. At 136 minutes, it still held the kids' attention. And who cares whether it's a tall tale or a real story? For me and my family, "Hidalgo" made for a rousing night at the family cinema.
But you know what? When it comes right down to it, the only thing that needs to be credible is the movie itself, and aside from a few miraculous incidents (including a trap with sharpened spears inside it), "Hidalgo" held me and the rest of my family in rapt attention. Be warned, though, that the PG-13 rating is for violence that includes a few decapitations, so parents will want to shield the eyes of young ones during some of those battle sequences. There are some subtitles for the Arabic (though most of the nomadic people in Arabia and Iraq somehow have learned how to speak English), so smaller ones will also need to have parents do a little reading for them.
Video:
"Hidalgo" was transferred to a 50GB disc using AVC/MPEG-4 technology. I was pleasantly surprised by the 1080p picture. With all the desert conditions I expected some serious grain, but there's only a light dusting. Even the scenes intended to show the heat waves are clear despite the distortion. The palette of this film is earthy, and so it's inappropriate to talk about color saturation except to say that the colors look natural. Black levels seem lower than usual, but this too seems to be the result of desert conditions, and the detail--particularly edge detail and detail in shadow situations--is still very good. "Hidalgo" is presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio.
Audio:
The English PCM 5.1 uncompressed (48kHz/24-bit) audio really booms, especially during high-intensity sequences . . . which is like most of the time. There's a nice distribution of sounds across the effects speakers to approximate the rolling progress of a sandstorm, for example--some of the best audio moments. Other times it's the music that dominates, stirring us as this marathon continues. But the dialogue never gets lost, and when quieter scenes surface there's as much clarity of sound as when things begin to rock. It's a dynamic soundtrack. Additional options are English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, which don't have quite the same fullness or vigor of the PCM. Subtitles are in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Extras:
The only two bonus features are two pre-release specials that aired on television: "Sand & Celluloid" (which, if memory serves, aired as "On the Set: Hidalgo") and "America's First Horse: Hidalgo and the Spanish Mustang." Both extras are actually pretty good, though the latter is almost as romanticized as the film. But there are no Blu-ray exclusives, either, and no commentary track.
Bottom Line:
Aside from a few graphic battle moments, "Hidalgo" is a fantastic family film that's high adventure--two popcorn bowls full. It's in the same spirit as the Indiana Jones films, with more action besides horse racing than I could have imagined. At 136 minutes, it still held the kids' attention. And who cares whether it's a tall tale or a real story? For me and my family, "Hidalgo" made for a rousing night at the family cinema.
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.