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Sahara (2005)

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136 out of 212 people found the following comment useful :-
Highly Enjoyable, 1. März 2005

Author: Griffith von Philadelphia

I just saw this movie at the Philadelphia screening, and I'm going to agree with the 8 star rating it has garnered so far. We all know the formula for this sort of movie, and yes, Sahara does follow the formula pretty closely, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.

It's an action movie, if that wasn't entirely clear. Simply put, if you like action movies, see this movie. If you don't, don't. The film follows our hero – ex-marine treasure hunter Dirk Pitt – and his friends through Africa as they uncover evil plots, fight bad guys, and search for treasure. While there aren't any surprising twists in the plot, I do admit that it was not completely predictable. The plot has enough originality in it to keep you watching. True to it's genre, the plot delivers plenty of action. It's not to stylized (Matrix) or epic (Lord of the Rings) but it won't let you down. The ending is just about as slam-bang as you'd expect, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Dirk Pitt is played by Matthew McConaughey, who happened to speak before the movie was shown. Apparently he'd been involved in the movie as more than just an actor – he is one of the executive producers, a role he takes seriously (he said he'd had the opportunity to produce other films but turned them down, not wanting to get involved in something unless he was really going to commit to actually working on it). McConaughey said that he'd been trying to get the role for seven years, and is quite pleased with the result. When asked if he planned to produce future movies, he gave a definitive "yes". He also hinted at the possibility of a sequel, if this movie does well, noting that there are sixteen more books by the author this script was based on.

McConaughey plays Pitt well. It's a pretty standard action-hero role. McConaughey's performance isn't particularly ground-breaking, but he throws the punches and delivers the lines with appropriate demeanor. My only complaint would be that he is a little too cool at times, given the stressful situations... but then again this movie wasn't made for realism. Al Giordino is Dirk's more technically minded buddy and co-adventurer. They've been friends since kindergarten, how sweet. Oh and you guessed it. Al is our comic-relief guy. Al is played by Steve Zahn, who delivers the comic relief character in a manner slightly less cliché than I was expecting. It just works a little better because he really does come off naturally as Dirk's long time friend, as opposed to some wise-ass who's just here for the ride. The chemistry between McConaughey and Zahn is very effective, as the previous reviewer pointed out. They really do appear more as two guys trying to get something done as opposed a hero and a side-kick. Also worth mentioning is Rainn Wilson who plays Rudi. Rudi is basically another comic-relief guy who has much less screen time then Zahn, but Wilson did a nice job. William H. Macy plays the commander type character, Dirks boss. Not Macy's best job in my opinion, it was a bit stilted – but with some funny moments. Lambert Wilson, of Matrix fame (The Merovingian) stars as well. I was a little disappointed to see him early on in the film, cause it was one of those moments where I just knew that he was going to turn out to be a bad guy. He does pretty well, although he seems to be doing just a slightly toned-down version of the Merovingian here. Ah, and let's not forget Penélope Cruz. Our heroine, the W.H.O. doctor, does just fine in her role. One thing I have to say is that the inevitable hero / heroine romance is very effectively down-played. In fact, there really isn't too much romance in this film at all.

On the technical end of things, Sahara does fine. There aren't too many overwhelming special effects, but the effects there are come off completely realistically. The movie is shot beautifully, although it seemed like the entire thing was shot with extremely long lenses. I was glad to have my depth perception back at the end of the movie. The vistas of Morocco are quite nice, and there are some nice scenes in modern day African cities and towns that pick up quite nicely on camera. I got excited when I saw Clint Mansell's name in the opening credits as the music composer (he brought us the fabulous Requiem for a Dream piece, probably my favorite soundtrack song). In the end, the music wasn't much to talk about. The orchestral pieces were pretty bland (sorry Clint), and there were occasional bits of popular music that I found to be out of place (the inclusion of "Sweet Home Alabama" is particularly offensive in this regard, it's been in so many soundtracks, it even has it's own movie). There is some quite decent African music which is enjoyable.

The rating of PG-13 is appropriate. There is no nudity or anything, no serious profanities that I can remember, and the action is not gory or too bloody.

All in all, it's a fun movie. If you need heart-rending drama and a complex psychological plot, than you will probably not agree with my 8 star rating. This movie isn't going to win any awards, and will not become a favorite of serious film aficionados, but if you want to go out to the theater on a Saturday night with a bunch of friends, this will be one movie you can all agree on.

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96 out of 136 people found the following comment useful :-
A fun time for all, 10. April 2005

Author: SmithWrite von Houston, Texas

I'm extremely perplexed at the lukewarm and especially the bad reviews this one is getting from the professional critics, because my husband and I both found it a very enjoyable romp. Yes, you have to suspend your disbelief during some of the action sequences, but I don't remember people complaining about the lack of realism in the Indy Jones or "Romancing the Stone" series. The dialogue (especially the buddy banter and William H. Macy's character) is amusing, the plot easy to follow despite its complexities, and the action virtually nonstop. I also found it refreshing for the sidekick to look like a doofus, but actually more than hold his own during crunch time.

I can only assume the negative reactions are from fans of the book (I have never read any Clive Custler, so it may well depart from it in tone or otherwise.) But judged solely on its merits as a light-hearted adventure movie, it more than met my expectations.

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147 out of 249 people found the following comment useful :-
Very Good - The flavor of Indy Jones, for modern times, 28. Februar 2005

Author: aramintamd von United States

I'll admit I've missed a lot of action movies released recently, because the subject matter didn't interest me all that much. The advance press for /Sahara/, with its obvious links to treasure hunting and to intrigue, led me to believe that I'd enjoy it more than, say, recent Vin Diesel work. And I was right.

Dirk Pitt is an Indiana Jones for the modern day. But he's more. There's an edge, an extra quality of "can do" that helps carry the improbabilities of the plot nicely.

If you liked /Raiders of the Lost Ark/ or /Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade/, you should go see this picture.

Some violence, mostly of the shoot-'em up variety, often more implied than "in your face" (and that's a good thing). Definitely intelligent and thoughtful story line.

Matthew McConaughey (Dirk Pitt) is easy to watch. Steve Zahn (Al Giordino) is near perfect as his sidekick. Penélope Cruz (Eva Rojas) holds her own against the bad guys. William H. Macy (Admiral James Sandecker) is excellent in his role as well.

It's fun, and it's worth full price admission. What could be better than that?

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112 out of 186 people found the following comment useful :-
Sahara is worth a look, 24. Februar 2005

Author: DCJerzeygrl von United States

By accident, I caught an advance screening of this movie last night in DC. I'd heard negative reviews, but thankfully did not let that cloud my judgment. The chemistry between Matthew McConaughey & Steve Zahn is palpable. I didn't think the chemistry between Penelope & Matthew sizzled, till the end. But since we all know now that they're together...I find it amusing. Good for them!! The location shots for this movie are phenomenal, esp Morocco. I'm bringing ALL my Moroccan friends to the movie when it is released. It's similar to National Treasure, but not as slick. There was more sarcastic humor throughout National Treasure, but there's great buddy chemistry in Sahara. I HOPE that Steve Zahn & Matthew McConaughey do a sequel or at least another movie together. This film is worth the price of full admission.

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68 out of 103 people found the following comment useful :-
Succeeds in what it tries to do, 12. April 2005

Author: Steve von Kailua Kona, HI

Bring on Dirk Pitt! Here is a movie that wants to have fun, the cast wants to have fun. The audience ends up having fun. Steve Zahn is hilarious. Matthew McConaughey handles the limited demands of his role quite well. Penelope Cruz brings her ever-present charm and beauty to a role which is notable for being one of the few action-adventure roles written for a female that is not obnoxious in recent memory. You can't take your eyes off William H. Macy whenever he is on screen in ANY movie. He's that good.

It's kind of a Bond meets Indiana Jones film (I swear they used the same canyon from "Raiders of the Lost Ark") The villains are one dimensional, but who cares? We are here to follow the exploits of our heroes. If we have to suspend our disbelief, we do it willingly because we are grinning ear to ear.

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43 out of 65 people found the following comment useful :-
Story altered but great flick, 11. April 2005

Author: cusslerfan1979 von United States

As a fan of Clive Cussler I was pretty excited when I heard this movie was being made. I went to see the movie with only two hopes. First that I wouldn't be disappointed as I was with Hollywood's poor attempt at "Raise The Titanic". And secondly as a loyal fan of Mr Cussler's books (I have them all and read them all) joy at finally seeing Dirk, Al, Rudi, and Sandecker all come to life.

I was not disappointed. The film makers did rearrange the story a bit (treasure hunters instead of the research scientists), Sandecker retired (not in his usual office at NUMA). They omitted a few details from the book (such as Lincoln being on the Texas and Kitty Mancock the pilot of the plane, and of course the scene in the book where the author himself appears) but overall I just LOVED this movie. It was packed with action and the chemistry between Dirk/Al was fantastic. I feel that all the actors played their respective parts great and it is my sincere hope that we will get to see these characters again.

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28 out of 40 people found the following comment useful :-
Finally a family-friendly action movie, 11. September 2005

Author: tracery von United States

I was pleasantly surprised to see how fun, fast-paced and witty this non-R rated movie came out. Beautiful scenery and Indiana Jones-like action mixed with humor and drama. Great film. I wish there were more films like this that lack the need for explicit sex, violence, drugs or swearing to get noticed. I believe strongly in movies that contain the aforementioned elements and are for adults; it's just sad to see few family films that don't involve animated cookie-cutter characters. Nice jobs by both Zahn and Cruz. The supporting characters were likable and not too cliché. Admittedly Zahn has fallen into a role of the crazy side-kick, but in this film I think he finally finds the balance of kooky and serious in the way a action movie "buddy" should.

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28 out of 41 people found the following comment useful :-
No cinematic drought after all, 23. Juli 2005

Author: stamper von The Netherlands

It had been proposed by some that the only reason Eisner Jr. (Breck) was allowed to make this film was his relationship with Eisner Sr. (Michael). While there is no proof for such an argument either way, Breck has proved to be not much worse than other directors. In fact he did better than most and worse than some. Sahara is best described as a typical entertaining adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones or perhaps National Treasure. It has a tough good guy (McConaughey), a funny sidekick (Zane) and admirable eye-candy (Cruz). Now I admit that most things are quite shallow, but if you mix all of the above mentioned ingredients with a decent story, good action sequences and throw in the fact that there isn't one nanosecond of corniness in this movie, you inevitably end up with a crowd pleasing blockbuster.

7,25 out of 10

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32 out of 52 people found the following comment useful :-
A little boring and meandering but a very classy presentation, 11. September 2005

Author: davideo-2 von Birmingham,England

STAR RATING: ***** The Works **** Just Misses the Mark *** That Little Bit In Between ** Lagging Behind * The Pits

Adventurer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McCoughnehey) travels to Nigeria, Africa to retrieve an ancient battleship. However, he stumbles upon a travesty. The people are dying or terribly diseased because of polluted water from the wells. There is, of course, a more insidious reason for this: the typically corrupt African government and a plot that spreads all the way to the States. Pitt, his sidekick and Eva (Penelope Cruz) a beautiful doctor determined to stop the spread of the disease, must battle to save the day.

Sahara is a slick, glossy effort that has a pleasingly polished feel all the way. It has a neat soundtrack and some fairly exciting action sequences. But, fun as they are, there's not nearly enough of them and the disappointing lack of action leaves the film to get a little boring along with the wavey plot that meanders about a bit for two hours.

McCoughnehey isn't my favourite leading man. A bit too smug and coy for my liking. His sidekick is little more than your typical wise-cracking Hollywood fall guy and similarly Cruz can do little more than be the usual steely, determined love interest you see in films like this. As for the rest of the supporting cast, William H Macy is pleasing but Delroy Lindo gets hardly any screen-time in his role.

A film with some serious flaws, but still a fairly enjoyable piece of Sunday afternoon BBC 1 entertainment. ***

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38 out of 66 people found the following comment useful :-
It could of been great, but it failed miserably, 3. April 2005

Author: Reymysterio619 von United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I saw an advanced screening on the Air Force Base I'm stationed at. I came in with low expectations and I was right. This movie is pretty predictable, although there are some spots that you couldn't predict because they didn't make sense. The movie leaves so many questions unanswered its stupid. Throughout most of the movie they leave you thinking the ship is causing the "plague", calling it the "ship of death", but it's actually (spoilers) a toxic waste plant. How could an ironclad ship reach Africa, and why? They keep asking these questions the entire movie, but they never answer them. The movie follows the same basic format and is surprisingly similar to National Treasure. There's the main "cool" character, his friend who provides the comic relief and a babe. I'm surprised such big name actors would even consider starring in this the script sucks so bad.

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