Dave, I'm working on my movie review style. The local papers are always asking for amateurs to give it a shot.
[comicbookguy]Could a movie have MORE cliches?[/comicbookguy]
The wife and I liked the movie but it was probably a little more heroic than the story it was taken from. Cowboy Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen) is "to the point" and soft-spoken, the typical loner cowboy. Lots of caricatures, Arab, British, women, little kids, etch so you don't have to waste time with developing believable characters. I think they borrowed the sandstorm scene from The Mummy...or was it The Mummy Returns? The horse has a little jealous streak for comic relief but no worries, Frank (Viggo) is more "staunch" than Jimmy Carter. Roping, throwing a spear or fanning his Colt, Frank (Viggo) never misses, unless you count that the Brit bitch gets away with murder....oh well!!
The sub-plot of Frank (Viggo) "finding" himself has a solid resolution in the best Hollywood tradition (think Marlon Brando at the Oscars with the "fake" indian girl). Speaking of fake, the "hunting cats" were Fantasia stuff. The Disney ending could easily segue into an ad for Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron
Good scenery, even great at times. James Newton Howard does the music though I didn't really notice the score as I was straining to hear some good dialogue. A few spare clever lines from Frank, imperturbable, as long as you didn't insult his horse or assault a woman.
If you watch it get the name of the horse that played Hidalgo, he was great, and very photogenic. I forget the name of the awards for animal actors/actresses but he deserves a nomination. |
