Hey all. It's been a slow night. I hope to be more productive tomorrow. For now, check out my thoughts on Hidalgo and don't forget that Issue 2 of Behind the screens is up as well. Be back tomorrow.
Hidalgo
Review by Jon Waterman
***
Before the turn of the previous century, horse racing was the thing. But unlike today’s Triple Crown hopefuls, these steeds were in it for the looooong haul. This film is based on a disillusioned Army dispatcher named Frank Hopkins and his mustang named Hidalgo, who is world renowned for being the greatest endurance racing horse. They’ve been invited to compete in the mother of them all, a 3000-mile trek across the Arabian Desert known as the Ocean of Fire. What’re the odds they’ll make it out alive?
From the trailer, I was expecting a cross between “Seabiscuit” and “The Mummy.” It looked like it would be a camp-town racing flick. In a way it was, but it took the good elements from each to create something under appreciated.
Before I dwell on the positive, let’s accentuate the negative real quick. The acting. It’s not so much good. Every supporting character is a cartoon (not literally). The most painful moments were at the beginning in a bar. A sore loser comes in and challenges Hopkins (played by Viggo Mortensen) to a fight. I’ve never heard acting that bad in a mainstream movie unless it was intentional. This clearly was not. The main people showed nothing spectacular or worthwhile or even good. Viggo went the opposite direction from his co-stars and toned everything way down. He subdued it so much that it came across as dry and uncaring. He risked boring the audience.
Luckily, the action on screen prevented that from happening. No, there wasn’t a whole lot of edge of your seat excitement. Yes, some of the drama, like the windstorm, was overblown (sorry about the pun). However, in between thrills, we’re treated to character development and great visuals accompanying the above average storyline.
Probably what hooked me more than anything was the effort that went into the camerawork. The landscapes are breathtaking and the mood is appropriately conveyed in manners and techniques normally not seen in a “kids” movie. They treat the characters and the story and essentially the whole film as something that should also appeal to adults. The film is formulaic, but the typical stupidity of the script is minimized, because they don’t beat the main points into your head over and over. There are a lot of subtle effects. The overachievement of the production makes it work.
The previews looked boring, so going in, I wasn’t expecting much. What I got was an interesting story, great cinematography and a fun, funny, charming family film.
Hidalgo
Review by Jon Waterman
***
Before the turn of the previous century, horse racing was the thing. But unlike today’s Triple Crown hopefuls, these steeds were in it for the looooong haul. This film is based on a disillusioned Army dispatcher named Frank Hopkins and his mustang named Hidalgo, who is world renowned for being the greatest endurance racing horse. They’ve been invited to compete in the mother of them all, a 3000-mile trek across the Arabian Desert known as the Ocean of Fire. What’re the odds they’ll make it out alive?
From the trailer, I was expecting a cross between “Seabiscuit” and “The Mummy.” It looked like it would be a camp-town racing flick. In a way it was, but it took the good elements from each to create something under appreciated.
Before I dwell on the positive, let’s accentuate the negative real quick. The acting. It’s not so much good. Every supporting character is a cartoon (not literally). The most painful moments were at the beginning in a bar. A sore loser comes in and challenges Hopkins (played by Viggo Mortensen) to a fight. I’ve never heard acting that bad in a mainstream movie unless it was intentional. This clearly was not. The main people showed nothing spectacular or worthwhile or even good. Viggo went the opposite direction from his co-stars and toned everything way down. He subdued it so much that it came across as dry and uncaring. He risked boring the audience.
Luckily, the action on screen prevented that from happening. No, there wasn’t a whole lot of edge of your seat excitement. Yes, some of the drama, like the windstorm, was overblown (sorry about the pun). However, in between thrills, we’re treated to character development and great visuals accompanying the above average storyline.
Probably what hooked me more than anything was the effort that went into the camerawork. The landscapes are breathtaking and the mood is appropriately conveyed in manners and techniques normally not seen in a “kids” movie. They treat the characters and the story and essentially the whole film as something that should also appeal to adults. The film is formulaic, but the typical stupidity of the script is minimized, because they don’t beat the main points into your head over and over. There are a lot of subtle effects. The overachievement of the production makes it work.
The previews looked boring, so going in, I wasn’t expecting much. What I got was an interesting story, great cinematography and a fun, funny, charming family film.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home