Sahara Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Dirk Pitt. Adventure has a new name.
Adventure has a new destination.
Searching for a treasure on the River Niger, Dirk Pitt thwarts the attempted assassination of a beautiful U.N. scientist investigating a disease that is driving thousands of North Africans to death. The suspected cause of the raging epidemic is vast, unprecedented pollution that threatens to extinguish all life in the world's seas. Racing to save the world from environmental catastrophe, Pitt and his team run a gauntlet between a billionaire French industrialist and a bloodthirsty West African tyrant. In the scorching desert, Pitt uncovers the truth behind his life-long quest - the fate of a Civil War ironclad. Now, amidst the blazing, shifting sands of the Sahara, Dirk Pitt will make a desperate stand — in a battle the world cannot afford to lose!
| Steve Zahn | |
| Penélope Cruz | |
| Matthew McConaughey | |
| Delroy Lindo | |
| William H. Macy | |
| Lennie James | |
| Empotoe Bosage | Pick Up Truck Guard |
| Thierno Amath Mbaye | Pick Up Truck Driver |
| Ouahbou Houcine | Tuareg Village Boy 1 |
| Lahcen Ouezgane | Tuareg Village Boy 2 |
| Tosin Sanyalo | Azikiwe Nwokolo |
| Celestine Vita | Old Woman in Labbezanga |
| Breck Eisner |
6.00 out of 10 (15875 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Entertaining but over-baked and over-thought
posted on 22 Aug 2009The problem with Sahara lies in the fact that it does not know what it wants to be: Indiana Jones-style adventure looking for treasure, or James Bond-type mission against a corrupt government, or pollution morality tale, or all of the above, or something else completely. It thus becomes rather unclear what our hero's objective is - and for an action adventure, this is never a good thing.There are simply too many plot strands. Any plot involving the WHO is always going to put a different spin on a standard adventure story. Whilst we tend to stay with the main characters through the majority of the film, what their motives are and where they are going are in a constant state of flux.Our hero is Matthew McConaughey's Dirk Pitt - basically a treasure hunter. He is aided and abetted by a trusty wisecracking comedy sidekick Al Giordino(Steve Zahn) and the required pretty damsel Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz). The bad guy is a military despot (Lennie James), and just in case you were unclear he was the baddie, he comes accompanied with a heartless French businessman (Lambert Wilson). So far all clear? Next, McConaughey and Zahn go off into the desert to dig up a metal ship which is buried there (don't ask) whilst Cruz sets off into the heart of Mali (the despotic regime) to fight a mystery disease ravaging the population. After much posturing and large bangs (another requirement for a film such as this) Cruz finds herself in need of rescuing, as most pretty damsels are prone to do, so our heroes show up and do just this. So far so simple. Now it becomes unclear what they are going to do next - are they going to search for the treasure or try to fight this disease? Well both it seems. Conveniently, everything they are looking for seem to all be within 100 metres of each other. More fighting and explosions ensue into the climax. With me so far? Big bangs, a defeated bad guy and a romantic sunset beckon for our heroes, and can i smell a franchise following closely behind? McConaughey is likable but bland in the action film, and Zahn plays the sidekick from the textbook, with cracks at carefully timed intervals. Cruz begins as a thinking man's totty, with glasses (of course – glasses are a sign of intelligence), hair tied back and being a doctor. The primness is soon lost however as she gets stuck in with the boys on their adventure sans glasses (she must wear contacts). The stars all do their job without being spectacular. But in a convoluted plot they try their best.But OK, what are the positives? If all you need for entertainment is a film where the good guy is a rugged American hero with a comedy sidekick and pretty girl on the arm and who gets to shoot people and blow things up then this is for you (as long as you don't concentrate too much, or even think too hard about it at all). Fortunately the differing plot strands are easy to follow, so you shouldn't have to think to hard. Although not exactly mindless, it provides a couple of hours of amusement for the guys - and make no mistake, this film is clearly guy-oriented. Can't be faulted for lack of effort, but tries to be too clever, and ends up getting itself confused over what it wants to be. Be that as it may, expect a sequel.
As long as you forget the book, you'll be fine.
posted on 18 Aug 2009Just saw an advanced screening. Here's the bottom line, McConaughey makes a decent Pitt. Zahn's just there for comic relief, not really as a proper Giordino. Pitt at first he comes by as a letch, then he starts to grow on you. I have one problem that's been bothering me: Dirk Pitt would not wear some girly necklace!!! I do think MaConaughey has the smile I envisioned though. Technically speaking, there are some goof-ups in the editing and such, but if you're looking for a family action movie,there's lots of explosions and such to ooh and ahh over without a lot of violence and only mild language which was surprising. Just don't go looking for a book adaptation, only a miniseries could do Cussler books properly. See it, give Cussler your money, he deserves every dollar.
Mildly entertaining no-brainer with no soul
posted on 18 Aug 2009Yes, Sahara does take place in the same universe as the monumental flop Raise the Titanic, a universe where the Titanic sunk in one piece. Keep your eyes open during the opening credits and you'll see a newspaper clipping of the ship being towed into New York.Matthew McConaughey takes over the role of Dirk Pitt from Richard Jordan (whoever he is) and teams up with Steve Zahn and Penelope Cruise for a film that should offer much more action and excitement than Raise the Titanic offered. It's doesn't really succeed.Dirk Pitt and his pal Al Giordino are professional divers/explorers who sneak off from their ordinary salvage duties to find a legendary ship packed full of treasure in a warn-torn part of Africa. Penelope Cruz is a W.H.O. doctor (I could have made a joke there) investigating a series of mysterious deaths and ends up on the wrong side of a local dictator/warlord. Naturally Pitt saves her and is rewarded with loads of foot-soldiers out to kill him.The treasure hunt/ecology plot could have been entertaining but nothing really amazing happens. It could have worked as an Indiana Jones-lite but it's completely free of any of the iconic or classic scenes that make that franchise so famous. What we get is a lightweight James Bond kind of film with no real edge or excitement. The anonymous direction doesn't help either and the whole thing seems to drag along rather than being a breathless ride.None of this is the fault of the actors. McConaughey and Zahn are watchable as always, though I would have liked to have seen William H. Macy and Delroy Lindo given more to do. Since, I've never read any of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels I cannot compare but whoever adapted the novel of Sahara into the screenplay forgot to put anything resembling spectacle or epic into it.Sahara is good for a single viewing only. There's nowt in here that make you come back for more. Which is rather worrying since Paramount bought the rights to 3 of Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels. They ought to make them better than this, but it's still superior to the similarly plotted National Treasure.
What a joke!
posted on 14 Aug 2009I felt pretty disappointed by the cheeziness of this film. I have read most of the Dirk Pitt series and was pretty shocked (in an excited way) to hear that a movie was coming out based on one of the books. When I saw who was to play Dirk and Al, I knew it was going to be a letdown, but I saw it anyway.I was really disappointed by the portrayal of many of the characters. They were goofy and did not seem too bright.I realize that the Cussler novels are meant for light, entertaining reading, but that does not mean that the film had to be so cheezy, seemingly low budgeted, and nonsensical as it was. Nothing was explained! I spent more time laughing at how ridiculous the movie was than wondering what was around the corner.In conclusion, although the movie seemed a joke to me I will still see the next Cussler-based film that comes out.
Poor Man's Raiders of the lost Ark
posted on 08 Aug 2009Unbelievably bad. Complete disappointment. The plot is based on a theory that the last of the Iron clad warships as used in the American Civil war has been found buried in the Sahara desert. As usual the African warlords are the bad guys, closely supported by corrupt Western officials.Into this steps Dirk Pitt who just happens to be searching for the warship and a raven haired sexy doctor working for WHO. He rescues her, countless times as they battle their enemies.Raiders was funny because it didn't take itself seriously. This was embarrassingly bad. It is unceremoniously added to my ever growing list of All Time Worst Movies.Don't waste your time or money on this to-sh.
Boring
posted on 04 Aug 2009This movie, in my mind, was a mistake. One, big,ugly, mistake. With some action(or so they like to call it that) movies,unlike this one, they are mixed up with a lot of jokes.They may have tried to attempt it, but not even close to succeeding. The creator of this film must have had something wrong with him, to think for a second that they could get away with such a terrible move. I was a very predictable movie. There was nothing to be shocked about. It was not Mattew McConaghy's fault that his character was so bad, I don't think so anyway. He was good in reign of fire ( which I highly recommend to anyone who has something better to do than watch this bad movie ). All in all, this movie was very boring, with a half smile being put on the audiences faces at rare times. And the best thing about this movie was (a the popcorn and (b getting the chance to throw M&Ms at the annoying teen in front of me.
super!
posted on 04 Aug 2009there isn't any dull moment in this movie! a real good construction, with good characters and a great story!10/10 for Matthew!;) the search for making a medicine against a great virus + the search for a lost ship makes it all more exiting!Normally I can't sit still with long action movies, but this is real adventure and is adaptable for everybody!So go to the stores and get this one for a nice and adventurous evening in front of your TV!Also the music in the movie is very recognizable,good choice! And fits perfectly by this movie.
love it!!!
posted on 31 Jul 2009I just saw this movie last night. It was great! Sahara was a mix between National Treasure and the Day After Tomorrow but a million times better! All the characters were perfect, including Dirk Pitt-can you say hott?! The tan was a bit too orange but OMG i wouldn't mind waking up to that every morning! The movie was very entertaining; however, at some points it was very predictable. A lot of movies are predictable. I think this was Matthew Mcconaughey's best movie.I will gladly go see it again and buy it on DVD!for now this is my favorite movie..
entertaining enough...
posted on 27 Jul 2009i was expecting it to be a bad action movie. When i did see this movie, i found that it was not a great movie but it was entertaining. a second rate action movie. it was entertaining enough with classic jokes made by the sidekick (Steve Zahn) and the hero (Matthew) being this all-American guy that always solves the problem. And throw in a sexy leading lady in Penelope Cruz. First of all the plot was just okay. It's hard to believe that they actually found the ship's location just based on a drawing on the cave. The connection between the diseases and the treasure was also sort of a stretch because of an underground water system. Hmm.... i don't know, that piece of the puzzle seems forced and does not fit that closely. Fortunately though the script does not emphasize any intellectuality. It doesn't provide solid proof to believe in this wild goose chase. It emphasizes more the adventure and the fun that you get when you do something exciting. The view and scenery of this film is amazing! action sequences are also pretty good. Now on to the actors. It was an okay cast. Matthew was believable as this sort of weirdo that is obsessed with this treasure. Then there's steve, the sidekick, actually for the first time a sidekick actually did some of the rescuing instead of just providing laughs. He was good and quirky. Oh and Matthew and Steve here are like invincible, they fight, stop bombs and do incredible stunts. the script says that they were SEALS, i guess that explains it all. Penelope on the other hand was sort of an awkward mix. First of all do you expect someone with that kind of aerobicized body to be in WHO. And how much money does she earn anyway? She had this great gown at the beginning of the film. One of the biggest problems however was Penelope's accent. She seems more conscious of her lines that actually acting. All in all though it's a feel good movie. It sort of reminded me of National treasure only a bit better.
A great compromise movie, entertaining but not quite art.
posted on 25 Jul 2009With low expectations I agreed to see "Sahara" since it was the movie a group of friends could agree on via the "fewest objections" method. We were all pleasantly surprised! There are problems that keep this from being in the best movie ever category, but if you are capable of suspending disbelief and simply enjoying well played characters using unbelievable methods to get themselves out of sticky situations and doing it all with effortless banter, this is the movie for you. The relationships worked, the style was fun and the soundtrack did a great job of setting moods.Upon leaving the theater I realized I had laughed and winced throughout the whole movie and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Amazingly enough, I have plans to see this again with friends whom I know would love its "out there" premise told in a laid back style that doesn't take itself to seriously while avoiding crossing the line into total camp.My advice is leave the cynicism home and give yourself permission to take a night off and just enjoy the camaraderie and the scenery with a few explosions along the way for good measure. Steve Zahn proves once again the importance of a really good side-kick. He can take much of the credit for this unbelievable romp being so entertaining.As a final note on the film, I loved the poetic justice dealt out to the rather stereo-typical villain in the end. That was nice.
Just Hollywood movie action entertainment, nothing more, nothing less.
posted on 21 Jul 2009Enter the premise. The movie starts with a US Civil War battle where an ironclad makes off in the night, surviving a battle. Cut to modern times, action hero and explorer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) has spent a bit of leisure time wondering if the old myth is true, that there is a Civil War ironclad buried in the sand somewhere in the Sahara desert. If it is, how did it get there? And even more interestingly, why would it have gotten there?While on some routine oceanographic job off the coast of Africa, Dirk Pitt has the opportunity to come to the rescue of pretty WHO (world health organization) doctor in peril, Eva (Penelope Cruz), who was being threatened by thugs on the beach, simply because she was saying that there might be a plague in the area. Natives are getting very sick, and dying, with very unusual symptoms. So, except for the very beginning, and the very end, the movie is mainly focused on the reason for the sickness, and tracking down its source.The movie is made in an action, adventure style much like "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but Dirk Pitt is no Indiana Jones. Much of the movie is done in a light style, with many comic situations involving Dirk and his sidekick played ably by Steve Zahn. Like the extended boat chase scenes on the river, which ends up with the borrowed boat being destroyed, while its owner hears everything via mobile phones. All this adds up to a movie that is only moderately interesting and moderately entertaining.SPOILERS. The illnesses were being caused by toxic chemical leaching into the ground water from a chemical disposal plant upstream, and greed made them try to kill those who might uncover it. The drama was created by the scenario that if the pollutants reached the salt water of the Atlantic, in a matter of weeks it would cause a problem that would make all the oceans of the Earth pools of death. There are great action scenes inside the disposal plant, and later in the desert, where they quite accidentally discover the long lost ironclad. As they take refuge inside they find the reason it sailed to Africa, it had a great cargo of gold coins, and was able to make it upstream during a period of unusual tides which temporarily raised the water level.
Great thriller for Dirk Pitt fans, feed me more !!
posted on 15 Jul 2009I'm a long time fan of the Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt thrillers, and have always maintained that they'd make great movies, so when Sahara came along it was a "must see". I did enjoy the movie, and will buy the DVD when it is available, but I just had a couple of "personal feeling niggles" about it. Firstly, I don't think the casting was a 100% success. As a dedicated reader of the novels, I have mental images of Dirk Pitt as a slightly older (40ish), less flamboyant character. Al Giordino in my mind is a 50ish short, wide, muscular Italian character. Admiral Sandecker is a more late 60ish, more military type of character, running the show from his desk.My second criticism is the soundtrack, I did not feel that some of the music played "gelled" with the storyline, and seemed quite out of place.However, as I said, personal impressions only, and I'll still be buying the movie to watch many more times at home. Can't wait for the next one !
Good IL' Action Adventure
posted on 13 Jul 2009Lighten up America, and grow a sense of imagination again. This was a decent action adventure flick with humor and bits of drama. I was in a simple word, fun. My only complaint was the open titles reminded me too much of Gone in 60 Seconds. Cruz is a hottie, Zahn is funny, and McConaughey is the token hero. Was it a bit formulaic? Yeah, but so what, everything is. And when it isn't it becomes that way when everyone else starts to do that...ie Matrix.If you liked National Treasure, you should like this. The story is a bit more realistic, even if some of the stunts aren't. Its still a fun movie. Please, go see it, and enjoy.
Good action movie, but not if you read the book
posted on 03 Jul 2009As a stand alone movie, this is rather good. There is certainly plenty of action. However, for all those Clive Cussler fans out there who have read the book, found it excellent, and were expecting anything close to it, this is a huge disappointment. The movie departs from the book in so many crucial ways, including the omission of major plot elements and changing the story and action in ways that are complete unrecognizable to the book. The Rudi Gunn in the movie is nothing like his character is portrayed in the novels, and Giordino's movie counterpart isn't superb either. I'm not saying it's a bad movie however. For anyone who hasn't read the book and likes action movies, this is one to see. But it should not even pretend to be based of the Cussler novel. With a few setting changes, it could have become a completely unrelated movie.
Not bad, but not outstanding, either
posted on 29 Jun 2009Cussler's novels have so many great action set pieces, that to whittle any of them down to a feature film immediately guts them of much of their fun. They would be better served in either a mini-series format or as a series a la "Alias" or "24," where there are strong story arcs and lots of cliffhangers.It's unfortunate that the producers attempted to launch a film series with what is the most flawed of the Dirk Pitt novels. In fact, to their credit, some changes from the book actually do a better job of tying the historical backdrop to the contemporary story, and another edit makes somewhat more palatable the deus ex machina that saves Dirk and Al in the desert (the excised footage is included in the DVD's deleted scenes).The casting isn't bad, although Al Giordino is described in the Cussler novels as being more like Monk from the Doc Savage pulps than any run-of-the-mill actor. Casting would inevitably be a challenge (though I've long envisioned Joe Piscopo as the closest "name" actor to the character), but Steve Zahn certainly doesn't match the literary version of Al. Still, I understand that Cussler signed off on him, and he always adds a fun presence to the pictures he appears in. As for Rudi Gunn, I've always imagined him to be smaller, maybe a bit like Barry Livingston (Ernie on "My Three Sons") or even actor Matt Craven. William H. Macy doesn't make a bad Sandecker, though he certainly gives the character more of a comical bent than he has in the novels.All in all, the picture works on a very basic action-adventure level, but because of the scaling down required for the feature-length format, what we're left with is simply a decent action picture that's nothing special. Nevertheless, it certainly outperforms the one prior attempt to bring Dirk Pitt to the screen, "Raise the Titanic"; which, for all its failings, gave us a wonderful score by composer John Barry.
Flavorless Chewing Gum
posted on 23 Jun 2009Have you ever had a piece of gum that tasted so good for about 15 seconds and then you spent the rest of the time just chewing miserably until you finally spit it out? That is how I felt watching Sahara. The beginning of the movie pulled me in and I immediately sat back to enjoy a great adventure. Only to be disappointed as this movie dragged on and on with scenes that looked like they were made up on the go. I wish I could have gotten my money back. The acting was extremely weak but so was the script that they had to work from. The worst part was when you discover at the end of the movie that they want to make sequels which I hope to God are better than this movie. I guess the title of the sequels will be: "Dirk Pitt and the Temple of Crap." or some other Indiana Jones spin off since this movie was clearly an attempt to create a new adventure hero.
A fun ride while it lasts
posted on 21 Jun 2009I remember reading loads of Clive Cussler-books when i was about 14-15 or so. My Cussler-period lasted until i was maybe 17 and "Sahara" was one of the books i read. I opened one of the old Cussler-books just a few months ago to see if i could still appreciate it, but i found the book to be horrible. Poorly written, unexciting and dull. I guess i grew away from it. But i still have my memories from when i first read his books and i remember "Sahara" being one of the more outrageous and entertaining.Dirk Pitt is played by Matthew McConaughey who is of course completely wrong for the role judged by the book, as is Steve Zahn as Gilardino. First of all McConaughey should be older and Zahn should be a stocky Italian guy. But that aside they both fit nicely into the picture. The story has been quite substantially altered compared to the book which was probably a good move. The book is completely bereft of any aspirations at realism. The movie is better while still retaining the playful imagination that is Cusslers trademark.So is this a funny adventure-movie? Or a good action-flick? Well, it's not that bad at least. The action-scenes are well made enough and the adventure-feeling is reasonably present. The thing that disturbed me most was that the story felt rushed in many places. The characters would start doing something and then the next second they would be transported several hours forward in time doing something completely different. I don't know if it's bad editing, lack of money or just an attempt to tighten up the script. All i know is it feels strange at times.For the adventure-movie buff there is really not that much to choose from in todays movies. The glorious days of Indiana Jones have passed and left a blank space in it's wake. A space that different movies have since tried to fill, for instance movies like "National Treasure". They haven't done a very good job in my opinion and "Sahara" comes closer than most. While this is a movie that is instantly forgettable, it's a pretty fun ride while it lasts. Which is really all you can demand of a movie like this one. I rate it 6/10.
Good Funny Buddy Movie
posted on 17 Jun 2009I thoroughly enjoyed Sahara.The best on-screen chemistry was that of Al and Dirk. Steve Zahn and Matthew McConaughey bounce back one liners better than any on screen pair in a long time. I truly hope that a sequel is to follow so I can see more of the two in action. I am a huge McConaughey fan. I was a little weary of this movie, not sure if he could pull off the part of a famous fictional character. I talked my Stepfather,who is a big Crussler fan,into going and he totally enjoyed it. So I took the chance and was well surprised. That is the kind of movie you start the summer with. Good comedy, breath taking scenery and I don't just mean a half naked well buffed McConaughey.Take a chance and enjoy.
A Great Deal of Fun
posted on 07 Jun 2009Maybe it's just that I was looking for an American action movie that wasn't weighed down with self-awareness, but I really enjoyed this. A nice attempt to update swashbuckling RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK kind of stuff, this has Matthew M. doing Pitt as a sunshiney hippie Jimmy Buffett kind of guy -- I personally think this is perfect casting. Steve Kahn does a good job as The Sidekick, I'm not a huge fan of Ms. Cruz's but she's undeniably lovely and is good to go on the action stuff here. Plus, Matthew M. manages to actually get a little chemistry going: no small trick for an actress who often looks uncomfortable on the big screen.It's pulp adventure, but for that genre the plot more or less makes sense, the action scenes are very nicely staged. Breck Eisner by all rights should suck, but he's (surprisingly!) a very competent action director, with a nice eye for locations and for compressing a lot of visual information in a small amount of time. Highly recommended, as long as you understand what you're getting into.
Great movie, a must see
posted on 30 Aug 2009I am an avid fan of Clive Cussler and have read all of his books. I think Matthew, Steve and William Macy played their characters to perfection. They may not have fit the exact description of the characters in looks, but they definitely nailed the personalities. They did not stay true to the book to the word, but in spirit they did. I really enjoyed the movie. If they had stayed to the book, it would have been 3 hours and had to have a sequel to finish it. That was the biggest downfall of Lord of the Rings. They stayed to true to the book, way to long and lots of boring parts. The only thing I think they need to change is Rudi Gunn's character, he is not a wimp. They definitely need a better leading lady as well, Penelope sucks. I hope they make more movies with Matthew, Steve and William playing their parts, and turn Rudi into a real man.