Sahara
Master explorer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) takes on the adventure of his life when he embarks on a treasure hunt through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa. Searching for what the locals call "The Ship of Death," a long lost Civil War battleship which protects a secret cargo, Pitt and his wisecracking sidekick (Steve Zahn) use their wits and clever heroics to help Doctor Eva Royas (Penélope Cruz) when they realize the ship may be linked to mysterious deaths in the same area.
Member Reviews
Sahara - oldmovies
. loved this movie from the moment it began. Great cast, great sets/locations. The boat scene was very entertaining. The plot wasn't what I'd call very original and was predictable but it made up for it in acting and great one liners! Matthew McConaughey looked amazing! Penelope Cruz was cute but same ol' same ol'. My favorite, though was definitly (Steve Zahn). He really stole the show a few times. The butt crack was hilarious!!!!Sahara - AppsScraps
Based on the 1992 novel by Clive Cussler of the same name, Sahara is a movie trying to be too many things: historical treasure hunt; comedy; romance; environmental thriller. The result is a complete hash-up where everyone seems lost as to what acting role they are supposed to take: one minute Arnold Schwarzenegger; the next Meryl Streep in Out of Africa. Blame director Breck Einser and shame on Penelope Cruz (as a sort of Lara Croft-lite) and Matthew McConaughey (as a sort of Indiana Jones-lite) for not putting things right. Only William H. Macy (as the Admiral) and Lambert Wilson (as bad guy Yves Massarde) seem to have come prepared fully understanding their role. More the shame as there is great potential in the story with its undertone of American involvement in the Sahara (and civil wars) and our panache as citizens to turn a blind eye to environmental disaster in the name of financial profit that ring very true. While the action scenes are full-on fun, best to skip this whirlwind of a mess in a Saharan teapot and read the book.
My rating 4 out of 10.Intriguing Action Movie With Good Performances - revsdd
Action/adventure movies have to have more than action and adventure in order to work - otherwise they just end up being pale copies of each other with only minor variations. At the very least, they need an intriguing story line and good performances. On those counts, "Sahara" works pretty well. Admittedly, at first glance this would appear to be something of a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" clone, with the emphasis on treasure hunting. However, once it gets going it's far more intriguing, and, of course, with a more modern flair to it. It's about the quest for a Confederate ironclad that ran the Union blockade in the last days of the Civil War and is now inexplicably reputed to be buried in the sands of the Sahara. How it got there is one mystery in the movie. That story ends up being linked with a mysterious plague that's starting to spread in northwest Africa, and finally with a potential environmental catastrophe that needs to be stopped. The three stories blend together very well. Being set in modern Africa also allows for some consideration of the problem of "warlordism" that still afflicts parts of that continent. So, the story works.
So do the performances. I'm not a huge fan of Matthew McConnaughy to be honest, but he was very good as Dirk Pitt, the leader of the expedition looking for the ironclad, and he was complemented very nicely by Steve Zahn as his sidekick Al. The two shared some witty dialogue and both were well partnered with Penelope Cruz as the doctor from the World Health Organization who's investigating the plague and, in a somewhat lesser role, by Rainn Wilson as Rudi, a fellow adventurer. Also featured fairly prominently (although most of his scenes were his own; he wasn't in partnership too much with the others) was William H. Macy as Dirk's boss.
It's what you'd expect in such a movie in terms of adventure and action, but the intrigue in the storyline and good performances raise it up a notch or two.
Member Reviews
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Sahara - oldmovies
. loved this movie from the moment it began. Great cast, great sets/locations. The boat scene was very entertaining. The plot wasn't what I'd call very original and was predictable but it made up for it in acting and great one liners! Matthew McConaughey looked ...Sahara - AppsScraps
Based on the 1992 novel by Clive Cussler of the same name, Sahara is a movie trying to be too many things: historical treasure hunt; comedy; romance; environmental thriller. The result is a complete hash-up where everyone seems lost as to what acting role ...Intriguing Action Movie With Good Performances - revsdd
Action/adventure movies have to have more than action and adventure in order to work - otherwise they just end up being pale copies of each other with only minor variations. At the very least, they need an intriguing story line and good performances. On those ...