Sahara Review
by Bob Bloom (bob AT bloomink DOT com)April 25th, 2005
SAHARA (2005) 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, Steven Zahn, Lambert Wilson, William H. Macy, Glynn Turman, Delroy Lindo and
Rainn Wilson. Screenplay by Thomas Dean Donnelly & Joshua Oppenheimer and John
C. Richards and James V. Hart. Based on the novel by Clive Cussler. Directed by Breck
Eisner. Rated PG-13. Running time: Approx: 131 mins.
Sahara is long, loud and nonsensical. It is a dumb-down movie that allows you to put
your brain on automatic and just watch the action set pieces that chug through the
movie.
Based on one of Clive Cussler’s popular Dirk Pitt novels, Sahara is a five-and-dime
Indiana Jones. As portrayed by Matthew McConaughey, he is quick-witted, good with
his fists, smart and tan.
He also is a very one-note character, as his range of emotion is limited to a smirk,
grin or smile.
Pitt is hunting for a legendary, lost Confederate Army ironclad supposedly washed
onto the African continent by a giant storm sometime in 1865.
On the way, he becomes involved with a World Health Organization doctor (Penelope Cruz) and the mystery of a disease that is polluting the water and killing
the local inhabitants. The two stories finally, strenuously, converge in a rather
unconvincing manner.
With a running time of a few minutes over two hours, Sahara sputters along as
slowly as a trek across the desert. After an explosive opening explaining the background of the ironclad, the movie seems to meander from here to there, from
Pitt to Cruz’s Dr. Eva Rojas, before the two converge, and the action quickens.
But it takes a long time — too long — for that moment to arrive. With the exception of Stephen Zahn as Pitt’s wisecracking sidekick, Al Giordino, the
characters are mostly one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. McConaughey’s Pitt is
the daredevil adventurer, nothing else; Cruz’s Rojas is the noble physician.
Even such pros as William H. Macy and Delroy Lindo go to waste in supporting roles.
Macy, though, does try to instill some weight into his part as Pitt’s employer.
Sahara settles into a repetitive series of chases and gun battles, with a lot of
bullets expended and none of the good guys hit. As usual in these types of films, the
gunmen of the villain can’t hit the broad side of a barn, while Pitt, Giordino and
company mow down their attackers like targets in a shooting gallery.
The movie makes no pretensions to be anything but pure escapism, with a bit of
tongue-in-cheek. It set its standards low and never aimed any higher.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be
reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected]. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal and Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com or at the Internet Movie Database Web site:
www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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