Sahara

In this action/adventure movie, based on the Clive Cussler book of the same name, Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) is a marine treasure hunter working for NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency). Pitt’s all-consuming obsession is finding the location of an old ironclad ship named the Texas, last seen escaping from the Union army near the end of the Civil War. Although most people think he’s crazy, Pitt is convinced that the ship somehow ended up somewhere in the middle of the Sahara desert in Africa. While on a job with NUMA off the African coast Pitt receives information that could very well lead him to the location of the Texas. Dragging along his trusty sidekick Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), Pitt sets out to prove that he’s right about the old ship. Along the way Pitt runs into Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz), a doctor working for WHO (the World Health Organization). Rojas is on the trail of a mysterious plague that has been killing locals in several small African towns. Unfortunately an African warlord, General Zateb Kazim (Lennie James), doesn’t want anyone to know the cause of the plague and when he tries to have Rojas killed, Pitt and Giordino are dragged into the middle of a deadly mystery that could threaten the entire world.

Sahara is a fun action/adventure movie very much in the vein of Indiana Jones and James Bond. It’s an enjoyable flick with plenty of action, a great sense of excitement and beautiful set pieces. Pitt’s sense of adventure is infectious and as his fearless attitude plunges him into one dangerous situation after another you’ll find yourself rooting for him every step of the way.

Matthew McConaughey, as Dirk Pitt, isn’t quite as memorable an action hero as Dr. Jones or 007. He doesn’t have the smarts or charm of Jones, nor does he have the ruthless edge and quick wit of Bond. But he is a likeable hero with a sense of humor, a laid back attitude towards danger and impressive fighting skills. Actually my favorite character in the movie has to be Zahn as Pitt’s best friend, Al Giordino. In most movies of this type the sidekick is usually there simply for comic relief and serves little purpose when he’s not cracking jokes. Zahn isn’t your typical action movie sidekick though. He actually serves a purpose within the film rather than coming off as a forced character. When he’s not cracking wise here and there (as the action movie sidekick is wont to do) he actually kicks quite a bit of ass all by himself. In fact, Giordino is every bit as much a hero as Pitt himself. And the interaction between Zahn and McConnahey is pretty fun to watch. The two really come off as the old friends they’re supposed to be. Both William H. Macy, as Pitt’s boss Admiral Jim Sandecker, and Penelope Cruz, as Doctor Eva Rojas, ultimately serve only to move the story ahead and their characters could have been played by just about anyone. Although Penelope Cruz, as usual, is damn hot.

The story itself is a bit weak and messy. Most action movies are rife with amazing coincidences that almost always serve to help the hero get out of whatever jam he’s currently in. Sahara is no exception, and the movie actually takes the amazing coincidence factor to ridiculous levels. There are times when this ridiculousness can pull you out of the movie a bit. The two main plots of the movie (the search for the Texas and the threat of the mysterious plague) seem almost entirely at odds with one another and, other than location, have no real thread tying them together. The villains of the piece are your typical bad guy fare and for the most part come off as utterly incompetent. At times it’s almost like an old episode of GI Joe where the bad guys manage to hit almost everything except what they’re aiming at.

My main bone of contention with the film though centers on the mystery of the old ironclad ship. In the end the mystery of the Texas really takes a back seat to the rest of the story and reenters the movie haphazardly here and there just to remind you that oh yeah, there’s a ship in the desert that they’re looking for. It seems to end up as nothing more than yet another amazing coincidence that just so happens to be the heroes’ only way out of their plight. And while the mystery of how the ship ended up in the middle of the Sahara desert is adequately explained there’s never any mention of why it ended up there. That really disappointed me, as it was a question that was brought up more than once throughout the film.

But despite these faults I still had a great time watching the movie. There was much debate about the fact that such a large movie was given to first time director Breck Eisner, mostly stemming from the fact that his father is Michael Eisner, president of Disney. After seeing the movie though, I have to say that Eisner did a decent job in the director’s chair. He made a fun an entertaining movie that is definitely worth renting. Just remember to turn your brain off when you pop this movie in and I don’t think you’ll have any problem enjoying the ride.


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