When I first saw a preview of Sahara, I decided that I wanted to see it. The movie looked like it could be something like the Indiana Jones movies which I really like. I also thought that the movie looked like it might be a treasure hunting adventure movie, sort of like National Treasure, or even like the books Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code . I like that type of movie and was looking forward to seeing it. I did really enjoy the movie, though it would have been better without the rude people in the theater.
Dirk Pitt and Al Girodino work for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency. The scientists that work for the agency travel around the world looking for lost artifacts. Admiral James Sandecker was Dirk’s boss. They were working off the coast of Africa. Dirk had talked about a lost Civil War battleship that he believed somehow managed to travel across the ocean and reach Africa for years. Dirk managed to find a new lead for the ship and convince Sandecker to let him do some investigating. Sandecker sent Rudi along with Dirk and Al.
Dr. Eva Rojas and Dr. Frank Hopper worked for the World Health Organization. They were investigating a possible outbreak. Eva was more convinced that something was going on. Someone didn’t want Eva trying to figure out what was making the people sick. Dirk and Al had to take Eva and Frank along to Mali. After dropping her off, Dirk and Al encountered some military men who seemed very determined to find Eva. Rudi noticed something very wrong with the river. Dirk and Al discovered a new lead for the ship, but they were concerned about Eva’s safety and went looking for her. They believed that the missing ship might be connected to the sickness in some way. They were all in an area that was controlled by the corrupt General Kazim who didn’t want any of them around.
Sahara was a fun adventure movie, though it did take a more serious turn with the sickness Eva was investigating and trying to treat. She was determined to figure out what was making the people sick even after she was attacked. She traveled to different areas in Africa, and found evidence of the same sickness in the areas. She somehow managed to always have gloves when she discovered new victims. She also had what she needed to perform tests on water samples. It did seem a little unbelievable that she always had those things with her, but that didn’t bother me too much. Late in the movie Al was a situation that he just managed to escape from. That scene did up being thrilling even though it wasn’t that believable. Dirk and Al ended up helping Eva after Dirk saved her a few times. Their investigations did go separate ways for a while once Eva and Frank reached Mali. After that, the movie did jump back and forth between them until Dirk and Al met up with Eva again. The jumping between the two plots wasn’t too annoying and it was easy to keep track of what was going on. The two plots did end up entwined later in the movie. This wasn’t just a movie about a treasure hunt, so it was a bit different than what I expected. I didn’t mind that it wasn’t what I expected and I still really enjoyed the movie. There were really only a few similarities to National Treasure.
Sahara had a lot of action throughout the entire movie. The first scene showed something that happened during a battle of the Civil War. Dirk fought off three men in his first scene. Later in the movie there was a boat chase with an explosion, gunfights, more explosions, more fights, and other chases. The movie didn’t have non stop action, but there was a lot. I wasn’t bored with the movie at any time. The action scenes kept the movie fast paced for the most part. The pace did slow down some when the movie was focusing on Eva and her work, but even during those parts I didn’t feel like it was slow moving. Some of the action scenes also contained some violence. People were hurt and blood was shown. The movie wasn’t that violent overall, but some people may feel differently. The movie really only had a small amount of mystery and suspense, but that didn’t bother me. There was enough going on to keep my interest and be entertaining.
I think that Sahara was just meant to be a fun adventure movie even though it did try to be serious a few times with the sickness Eva was investigating. Dirk and Al helped Eva figure out a possible cause for what was making people sick. I don’t know how accurate their theory was, but it fit in with the movie. It did seem a bit convenient that Dirk’s search for the ship and Eva’s for the source of the sickness ended up so connected. That didn’t bother me too much since the movie was so entertaining. Some things that were said and done added humor to what was going and kept the mood light. Al was the character that most often provided the humor. Nothing that was done for humor was hilarious, but it was just enough to make me laugh. I think that the blend of humor and action worked very well in this movie.
Dirk and Eva met very early in the movie. Dirk was out in the ocean and came to shore in time to help Eva. He was shirtless at the time and he looked very good. He wore sleeveless shirts frequently which showed off his muscles. He was shirtless again later in the movie. He was never naked though. Eva wore a lower cut tank top that did show off more of her cleavage. She didn’t look like she was going to fall out of the shirt though. She was in a bikini in one scene. That was it for nudity for her. There did seem to be a bit of attraction between Dirk and Eva when they first met. They didn’t do anything to act on that attraction, so that didn’t detract from the main plot of the movie. There were no sex scenes in the movie. McConaughey and Cruz did start dating while filming the movie.
Dirk and Al had worked together for NUMA and Sandecker for a long time. Dirk and Al were in more of the movie than Sandecker was. Dirk was obsessed with trying to find the lost Civil War ship that he was convinced somehow traveled across the ocean to Africa. No one else believed it was possible. Dirk enjoyed adventure and seemed to have a good time even when he was in dangerous situations. Dirk figured out things to do in every situation he and Al ended up in. The movie didn’t delve into Dirk’s background. Al seemed like he just went along with what Dirk thought up. It was obvious that the two men were good friends and enjoyed working together.
Eva and Frank were in Africa treating people with a strange sickness. I’m not sure if they were sent in just for that sickness or if they were already in the area and discovered the people that were sick. Frank was older, but Eva was the one making the decisions about investigating the sickness. She was very determined and could be stubborn. She ignored the fact that it could be dangerous. She got along fine with Al and Dirk when she was with them. Sandecker was called admiral by a few people and he made a remark that he didn’t want to work for the government again, so it seems like he had been in the military before going on to work at NUMA. He got aggravated with some of the things Dirk did.
Matthew McConaughey did fine with the role of Dirk. McConaughey looked the part of someone that enjoyed going off on adventures. Dirk had to be in good physical shape to do several of the things he did in Sahara. To be believable, the actor playing Dirk also needed to be in good physical shape. McConaughey was and he did show off his muscles in more than one scene. The role was different from the parts he played in The Wedding Planner, Frailty, Contact, and The Client. I’ve never been a fan of Penelope Cruz, though I have only seen her in Vanilla Sky before this movie. Cruz was fine in the part, though I think several other actresses could have done just as well if not better. There wasn’t anything about her performance that seemed bad or annoyed me. There just wasn’t anything I thought was that special either. I really liked Steve Zahn as Al. He had the funniest lines in the movie. Al seemed to be a bit goofy, and Zahn fit the part perfectly. I’ve only seen him in a few other movies, and I enjoyed his performance in the ones I’ve seen. William H. Macy was really underused as Sandecker. He only had a few scenes, but he was very good in them. I’ve liked him in everything I’ve seen him in. Delroy Lindo had a small part as a government agent that Sandecker knew. He was fine in the part.
CAST
Penelope Cruz - Dr. Eva Rojas
Lennie James - General Kazim
Delroy Lindo - Carl
Matthew McConaughey - Dirk Pitt
William H. Macy - Admiral Sandecker
Glynn Turman - Dr. Frank Hopper
Rainn Wilson - Rudi
Steve Zahn - Al Girodino
Sahara was released on April 8, 2005. The movie was rated PG-13 and was just over two hours long. The movie was based on the book of the same name by Clive Cussler. I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know how close the movie stayed to the original story. I recently discovered that Cussler has written several books featuring Dirk Pitt, so perhaps another one will be made into a movie if this one is successful enough. I would enjoy seeing Dirk and Al in another movie. This really isn’t a movie for younger children. They probably wouldn’t stay interested in it.
I really enjoyed Sahara. I’ll be adding the movie to my DVD collection once it is available in that format. The movie was fun, entertaining, and had a lot of action. It did touch on something more serious, but it is really meant to be a mindless action/adventure movie. It does remind me of the Indiana Jones movies. Fans of the cast as well as people that enjoy fun action/adventure type movies may also enjoy this one. People who have read the books that feature Dirk may also enjoy the movie. I want to find some of those books to read now.
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