Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- swashbuckling
- exuberant
- sincere
- family movie night
- adventure night
What critics said
Critics broadly agreed that the film offers striking scenery and exuberant old-fashioned adventure, but is overstuffed and overly cheesy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank Hopkins enters the Ocean of Fire with Hidalgo while carrying trauma from his cavalry past and confronting extreme desert conditions.
The film combines Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, Arabian court intrigue, and a perilous desert race in a heightened Hollywood mode.
Hopkins, a Westerner riding a mustang rather than a prized thoroughbred, challenges the dominant Arabian racing stable.
Hidalgo is Hopkins’s trusted racing partner and the central source of his resilience during the endurance race.
Films like Hidalgo, and why
The Mummy
old-fashioned swashbuckling adventure, desert danger, and a charismatic outsider hero
Seabiscuit
horse-centered historical adventure driven by endurance, loyalty, and sweeping landscapes
The Last Samurai
classic western heroism, cross-cultural conflict, and large-scale action spectacle
Gunga Din
romanticized period adventure with horsemen, imperial settings, and brisk action
Movie Details
- Director
- Joe Johnston
- Release Date
- 2004-02-04
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (1404)
Cast
- Viggo Mortensen
- Zuleikha Robinson
- Omar Sharif
- Louise Lombard
- J.K. Simmons
- Adoni Maropis
- Silas Carson
- C. Thomas Howell
- Chris Owen
- Frank Collison
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hidalgo about?
- A traumatized cowboy and his steadfast mustang take on a deadly endurance race across the Arabian desert, challenging elite riders and their own limits.
- What is Hidalgo like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hidalgo as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hidalgo violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Hidalgo as moderate.
- What did critics think of Hidalgo?
- Critics broadly agreed that the film offers striking scenery and exuberant old-fashioned adventure, but is overstuffed and overly cheesy.
- Which films are like Hidalgo?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mummy, Seabiscuit, The Last Samurai, and Gunga Din.
- How long is Hidalgo?
- Hidalgo runs 136 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hidalgo?
- In United States, Hidalgo is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
