I was really, really annoyed with Howard's score to "Hidalgo" - and not because it's bad, far from it. But it seems to me that he is mixing two genres, one notably his high swashbuckling style (Found in Waterworld and most recently and best in "Treasure Planet"), and brooding, epic, sweeping ethnic style. Almost in "Dune" fashion, only better. The problem I had was the opening titles - notably the first two tracks, which are exciting, vibrating, and energetic, delivering a very promising theme and a power and energy found in "Treasure Planet" (a score which, to me, is the nearest you can get to perfection in adventure style). And then ... then the action seems to sizzle down, and go for the broody and epic grandeur of the desert, which is fine - but Howard should never have begun with those fatal first two tracks which promised so much, but never deliver. Except in the last two tracks, which are admirable in their execution, but knowing Howard's style, I can easily imagine him doing this for the whole score, which he never does unfortunately.