This movie was excellent on many levels. It was more than action, it was emotional and spiritual. We definitely need more thinking movies such as this one and less mindless drivel in the action movies being released these days.

I really don't care what the critics are going to say about this movie. I loved it. It reminded me of the spirit of the original "Raiders of the Lost Ark." And the story is solid. I just think it's so rare that Hollywood puts out a GOOD adventure movie like this, instead of stooping to needless CGI crap in movies like "The Mummy." Viggo's performance, specifically his "relationship" with Hidalgo is touching and great fun. And forget the protests over whether this was actually based on a true story. It doesn't matter. This is the first must-see film of 2004 in my mind.… Expand

This film holds your attention and the 2 hours seem to slip by effortlessly. They didn't have to stoop to nudity or too much CGI (not that there is anything wrong with either) to get the story across. Some of the exchanges between the Shiekh and the Cowboy were a little hokie, but hey, that's Hollywood.

Thank you Hollywood for making a great old time adventure movie that you can just sit back, kick off your shoes, eat some popcorn and enjoy. It is the kind of movie that we used to go see on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Outstanding, even on a sunny day.

Best movie for entertainment I have seen in a LONG time.

A throwback to the great movies of the 1930's. An adventure that will keep you riveted to your seat with the hero overcoming all odds. Very well done and wonderful to see Omar back even if he is not in the saddle. A must see.

Worst movie ever made. I fell asleep twice. The only reason why I saw was because,my nephew bugged me to see it. After it was he hated it to. I give this movie a F-.

The best movie I have seen so far this year. That is saying a lot. I have seen a lot of crap movies so far and this is the best so far of a bad lot. If you can get past the racial sterotypes, wooden acting (lead actor has no charisma) the horse would win easily for best actor in a motion picture. It is a pop corn designed for kids with great stunts, and a typical hollywood ending where evryone goes home happy including the horse.… Expand

Heck I thought it was a good Ol' time. Action, Suspense, Romance what more could you want? I especially liked the white woman who turned out to be the bad guy. Plus it was even more realistic than I thought it would be.

A good action movie. Viggo is good at action, let's admit it and give him credit where credit is due. I enjoyed this film, and it is not Anti-Islamic. In the end he becomes the best friend of the Old Sheik and everyone is duly respected, each in his own right.

Viggo Mortensen needs a new agent. He seemed mortified, justifiably so, at appearing in this crapfest. His acting, usually charismatic, consisted here of mumbling in a fake Southern accent and showing absolutely no facial expression. This was nothing but a heavy-handed, sanitized, racist waste of celluloid. Oh well, at least it gave Omar Sharif a good juicy role (though casting him for the role he played seemed a trifle obvious). I agree with Patricia M. that we need more of this type of movie, but it's just that this one simply wasn't done at all well. I'm still waiting for an action movie that isn't mindless drivel.… Expand

Made like an old fashioned adventure movie, but with modern cinetography. OK, it's cheesy, but there's nothing really not to like. To some, though, old fashined is...old fashioned.

Your chance to see "A" actors in a "B" movie. A plot with possibilities is continually interrupted by scenes that are excruciatingly stupid.

It is appalling that such an irresponsible movie could be made today. This movie is teeming with negative stereotypes of Islam and Arabs. The bedouin tribe contains slave-traders, bandits and raiders, child-beaters, hostile and intolerant men who wish ill on the "infidel" and his horse, and women-subjugators. The phrases "It is Allah's will" and "The Koran says" are bandied about at the silliest occasions, and false Islamic punishments are depicted. It is astonishing that Disney stooped to this level.… Expand

This is very close to an 8. It is an excellent adventure film, but a little long and a bit heavy handed with the native american mysticism/Hopkins connection. It is a great family film, adventure, comedy and a message with strong acting from all involved and solid direction. Check it out!

Beautiful cinematography, it's stirring and compelling action combined with a soul makes this one a winner. With the awesome Moroccan vistas, Omar Sharif wise noblility and Viggo Mortensen's virtuoso performance a cross between Gary Cooper and Peter O'toole dominating the screen.

I saw an advanced screening of Hidalgo, and loved it! Those "professional" movie critics don't know what they're talking about. That's why undeserving movies like Seabiscuit and Lost in Translation were nominated for the Oscers. Sure, Hidalgo got a little bit predictable towards the end, but it was still entertaining all the way through (something that can't be said about half the crap that's released today). For a hardcore adventure movie, there is something to be said for the acting in Hidalgo. In most movies centering around animals, the characters talking to them sound as if there speaking to a brick wall. Mortensen, however, gives a solid performance and actually sounds like he cares about his horse. Once again, don't listen to the critics who have so far given Hidalgo mediocre reviews. You definitely don't want to miss this. … Expand

This was a good movie. The beginning could have been done better, but after that it was very enjoyable. The ending was extremely good. The cast did a good job. The different cultures were treated very factually, both good and bad. All in all a good Saturday afternoon popcorn flix.

This film is Sea Biscuit meets Lawrence of Arabia meets Indian Jones. All the carictures that represent the worst of Hollywood, are here. Famed US cavalry dispatch rider Frank T. Hopkins and his mustang Hidalgo, get invited to the greatest cross-country horse race in the future, in Arabia. The Sheik is offended that Hopkins' horse is billed as the world's greatest long-distance rider in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Viggo Mortensen plays the lead character (although the movie is named after the horse), however, his performanace is too dry. And he mumbles several lines. Omar Sharif, Lawrence of Arabia's Sherif Ali, plays the role of the wealthy Sheikh Riyadh, but he brings nothing but cliche to the character. Zuleikha Robinson, one of the supporting cast "spies" from The Lone Gunmen, plays the role of the Sheik's daughter, but without even attempting to hide her American accent. There's one interesting surprise, but it's not really germaine to the story. While based on a true story, this film is pure, predicatable Hollywood hokum. The dialogue is as Disney corny as it gets. And it proves that Mortensen, fresh from the triumphant LOTR trilogy, can't carry a film by himself. He's no Harrison Ford.… Expand

A wonderful feel good old time exciting adventure movie along the lines of an Indiana Jones sequel.

Cool, very cool. Jesus loved this movie. Lots of action and adventure. A movie to enjoy.

Entertaining, predictable (it WAS a disney movie after all), stunning scenery, but quite racist and ethnocentric.

C'mon guys lighten up. This was a serial type movie the same as Flash Gordon or The Lone Ranger or any of those series from yesteryear. No one would ever take this as realism. It is part Indiana Jones meets Superman with his Superhorse. Stop with the sterotypes as no one would even remotely believe that crap. It is a popcorn movie, nothing movie and is great fun.

Not a single interesting thing in this movie. a horse, aragorn, and omar sharif is all you get to look at. the horse is cute, aragorn has no sword, omar is old.....yeah. let's summarize it now, aragorn...omar....old....no sword...horse...cute..........wait!....there is the desert....but, hey.....it's a desert you know?....no water....nothing.....not a thing there.....not........a......single.....interesting.....thing. hey, did i mention that omar sharif looks really old?....i mean, he must be old in real life too...he was in lot's of movies......yeah......old.....aragorn....cute.....horse. yup.....cute horse.… Expand

Apparently, Joe Johnston's instructions to Viggo Mortensen was to play a horse whisperer. He needs to speak up. Perhaps, Mortensen, is self-consciously distancing himself from Aragorn. It's an unfortunate acting choice. Since the film is named after the horse, a good idea would've been to make "Hidalgo" more lovable character since we're supposed to cheer the little guy on. Give him a gimmick, like Kevin Costner's horse from "Dances with Wolves" for instance, Cisco wouldn't let anybody ride him. Give Costner some credit, we cared about his horse. We (I) don't care about Hidalgo, or "Hidalgo". It's ironic that Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen) values the lives of "Indians", but fails to see that he assumes the role of the malevolent aggressor when an Arab is killed on the Arab's own soil. It doesn't matter if the Arab is shady. Frank doesn't belong there. Skip this movie. Read "Ceremony" by Leslie Marmon Silko. … Expand

It's not screenwriter John Fusco's or director Joe Johnston's fault that the first 20 minutes of this"Middle Eastern-Western" play so similarly to those of The Last Samurai, but this overlong and mostly humorless slog of a would-be epic falls short of the finish line in lots of other ways. Part of the problem is the subject matter: as Richard Brooks demonstrated nearly 3 decades ago in Bite the Bullet, long distance horse-racing is just too diffuse and unwieldy to translate well to film. It just isn't tight enough to have the immediacy or suspense of the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness. (The fact that Seabiscuit captured far more moviegoers' hearts--to say nothing of box-officedollars--would appear to back me up.) The apparent Lord of the Rings curse started by Sean Astin, who totally humiliated himself in 50 First Dates, continues with an ineffective lead performance by Viggo Mortensen that features none, NONE of the charisma he effortlessly demonstrated in Peter Jackson's epics. (At best he comes off like a very soft-spoken Joe Buck.) Heck, even the HORSE who plays the title role isn't much of a screen presence! For the second time this year, Omar Sharif is the major drawing card for an otherwise questionable movie; he was absolutely charming in that otherwise tiresome, shopworn bag of platitudes known as Monsieur Ibrahim, and here, as Mortensen's Hugh Griffith-likesponsor/rival/adversary/friend, he's so engaging that you want the film to focus on HIM, not Mortensen. Who'da thunk that in the 21st century, producers would be yelling, "This movie's in trouble! Get Doctor Zhivago!!"??… Expand