Sahara Movie Review:


There's a ludicrously enjoyable rock & roll vibe throughout this ripping adventure. The story is completely preposterous (what do you expect from a Clive Cussler novel?), but the energetic characters keep us gripped. And we know it's only a matter of time before we hear Lynyrd Skynyrd on the soundtrack--40 minutes to be exact.

Lifelong buddies Dirk and Al (McConaughey and Zahn) travel the world dredging priceless artefacts from the sea with their nerdy sidekick Rudi (Wilson) and their annoyed-but-efficient boss Sandecker (Macy). This particular adventure starts in Nigeria, where Dirk and Al pick up the scent of a long-lost American Civil War ship and follow it upriver into Mali. They're accompanied by WHO doctors (Cruz and Turman) investigating a potentially devastating plague. Throw in a power-mad warlord (James) and a corporate mogul (Wilson), and you just know these plot threads are going to converge.

This is a big, lively romp, filmed in a lushly expansive epic style even though it's basically low-rent James Bond. Several of the eye-grabbing action sequences are perhaps a bit too 007 for their own good, complete with derivative music (and even an overwrought lair for the baddie). The story is loaded with deep improbabilities and conveniences, and it does seem rather odd that oceanic expert and former Navy SEAL Dirk for some reason also has expert knowledge of the desert.

To distract us from these things, the filmmakers pack on the fun and make the most of the engaging cast. McConaughey ripples with muscle, seizing every opportunity to show off his bulging pecs. Zahn does his usual expert comic relief work. Cruz has an impossible amount of hair for a WHO doctor, and despite almost constant peril she remains as feisty and gorgeous as ever. Together they have so much chemistry that it often feels like a Road To movie. It's the kind of film that keeps us gleefully munching our popcorn while we pretend to be excited by the faux suspense and 'surprising' plot turns. And it does indeed leave us hoping it becomes a movie franchise.



Rich Cline

Master explorer Dirk Pitt (McConaughey) has been searching for a lost Confederate Ship that disappeared at the end of the American Civil war for years and he finally thinks he might have tracked it down. The problem is that the trail leads to Mali; a country gripped by its own civil war and its Warlord leader General Kazim (James) doesn’t like any foreigners crossing his boarders. Now Pitt and his long time friend Al Giordino (Zahn) have seventy-two hours to sneak into Mali and investigate but a missing ship isn’t all that they will find.

Best selling author Clive Cussler’s adventurer Dirk Pitt returns to the big screen but could this be the start of a new franchise?

Cussler’s Dirk Pitt adventures have been best sellers for decades but after the failure of ‘Raise the Titanic’ in 1980, the hero has had to exist on the written page, until now. ‘Sahara’ is the first of what Paramount Pictures hope will become their new action adventure franchise, a modern day ‘Indiana Jones’ or a much better ‘Tomb Raider’. The good news is that everything is here to make that wish come true.

Even though he might have one of the silliest names in literacy circles, Dirk Pitt has all the hallmarks of a classic hero. Ex-Navy Seal and scholar, Pitt works for NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) who travel the world, searching the seas for missing treasures that have been lost in the depths. This adventure sees him chasing a missing Confederate armoured ship that disappeared at the end of the American Civil War. The ship has been an obsession of Pitt’s for years and finally he has found a clue that should lead him to its whereabouts. A single Confederate gold coin found in Mali, could be the piece that finally solves the puzzle.

The film isn’t all about finding treasure however; there are also interwoven stories of African Civil War and a plague that is spreading through the Mali population. This is what makes the story more watchable as the three stories combine to make an adventurous plot.

Playing Dirk Pitt is the much-underrated Matthew McConaughey. Once the golden boy of Hollywood, McConaughey rises to the challenge of playing a physical and charismatic role with each and the part could easily propel him into the big leagues again. Steve Zahn plays Steve Zahn again in this movie, making you wonder if he can play anything else but his character Al does provide some good comic relief. The beautiful Penélope Cruz plays Eva Rojas, WHO (World Health Organisation) doctor investigating a new plague that is starting to spread from Mali. This is another high profile role for the gifted actress and she brings a bit of class to the role.

The support is also good. William H. Macy is as good as ever as Admiral James Sandecker, bringing some class to the production. Delroy Lindo makes a return to the big screen in a pivotal role. British actor Lenny James is good as General Kazim and Lambert Wilson plays the sleazy businessman with ease.

‘Sahara’ is a good popcorn movie with slight more plot than you might be used to from a Hollywood flick. The cast is good and the film has a real sense of fun as well as adventure, making the escapades of Dirk Pitt a welcome addition to the action adventure genre.

Jamie Kelwick

Dirk Pitt is probably one of the best kept secrets in adventure fiction today. Novelist Clive Cussler created the heart-throb deep sea adventurer in 1973’s The Mediterranean Caper, which launched 18 adventures for the popular character. It wasn’t until 1983’s Pacific Vortex that Dirk Pitt’s first adventure was revealed.

“Sahara” is definitely one of the most famous and popular books of the Dirk Pitt series but its no place to start when introducing a new audience to this character. It would be like making “From Russia with Love” first.

“Sahara” also isn’t the first incarnation of Dirk Pitt to hit the silver screen. The first attempt to bring this adventurer to screen was 1980’s “Raise the Titanic” which starred the late Richard Jordan as Pitt.

Dirk Pitt’s creator never started at the beginning and it worked for both James Bond and Indiana Jones, so what happened?

“Sahara” is the 11th Dirk Pitt adventure in the series and the filmmakers decided to drop the audience right into Pitt’s world. Pitt, this time played by rugged Matthew McConaughey, has been obsessed with tracking down an infamous Civil War battleship known as the “Ship of Death”. Just as he gets his closest clue yet, Pitt rescues Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz), a World Aid doctor from a gang of thugs. Pitt learns that the doctor has stumbled upon a growing epidemic that is sweeping across Africa. And in some sort of twist of fate both the epidemic and ancient battleship seem to be linked. What secrets will both adventures reveal?

“Sahara” in its silver-screen incarnation has been reduced to something that resembles “Jake Speed” or a tamer “Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck” or basically a very sandy and sloppy Indiana Jones rip-off or is it a James Bond rip-off. You decide.

Rookie director Breck Eisner seems to know how to map out action sequences but really has no idea how to pull a story together. That could also be the fault of the 4 screenwriters who cobbled this film together. How can it take four extra writers to produce a script on already produced material without an origin sequence or explanation?

Because the message board opening is so effective. Pay attention class, there will be a quiz later.

I guess by about half way through the film I found myself locking my brain away in the back of my head. I found myself really enjoying the chemistry between McConaughey and his sidekick Steve Zahn. I loved the stranded in the desert sequence and most of the solar plant scenes.

Then it just seemed to go no where.

I really liked McConaughey as the action hero, especially when he allowed for his hero to get his beaten by every guy he had to fight. It was never really easy for him. I also really enjoyed Steve Zahn as the comic sidekick to McConaughey’s straight-faced hero. These two were great and I kind of wished that they would come back for another Dirk Pitt movie that would be smarter, thrilling and intense like a Dirk Pitt Adventure is supposed to be.

I have always thought as Dirk Pitt as closer to “Doc Savage” than James Bond. Not only is Pitt pulled into the adventure but so are the people around him where Bond is more of a lone wolf. Doc Savage had his associates and Dirk Pitt has his crew.

It really is a shame this film was so sloppy and didn’t finally give Dirk Pitt a home on the silver screen. Maybe the next time.

So Says the Soothsayer

Dean Kish

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