Desert In Sahara and dessert, too
By Bruce Kirkland


Forgot the preposterous plot. The key to whether Sahara works is the level of heoric flair, sense of adventure and sex appeal generated by the character of Dirk Pitt. With Matthew McConaughey in the lead role, there is plenty of dash, lots of adventureand just enough sex appeal -- despite McConaughey's ulgy orange tan and his Stacey Keach stubble --for Dirk Pitt to become a franchise.

Dirk Pitt is novelist Clive Cussler's invention, a retro rogue hero with a blunt that belongs in a 1940s adventure serial. He is an all-American maverick with moral code.

In the movie -- and Sahara is clearly designed to be the first instalment in a series--the main story is set in the here and now with high-tech toxic dump operation that threatens an ecological disaster. But Dirk Pitt, either in his dungarees or dressed in the garb of a nomadic Tuareg tribesman and astride a camel, is more Indiana Jones than James Bond.

That is not to say thatSahara is set as electrifying or as inventive as Raiders of the Lost Ark the first Indiana Jones movie.
Saraha director Breck Eisner (Son of Micheal Einser, soon to be deposed head of the House of Mouse), would have been smart to steal a few more inside moves from Lucas and Spielberg.
Sahara should have been even more like Raiders. Instead, it flawed piece of work with lapses into sentimentality and silly specatale.

The spectacle problem has to do with the ecological subplot involving the arch villain, played by Lambert Wilson, who portrays his French cad as a snivelling dandy.

We needed more of thr nasty he showd in the Matrix movies. THe sentimentality involves the World Heakth Organization subplot with Penelope Cruz, a do-gooder heroine of pure heart.

Dirk Pitt's job in Sahara is to find a lost Confederate ironclade ship, save thre world, get the girl, fend off an evil Mali warlord (Lennie James),help the noble desert rebels and trade funny barbs with his loyal sidekick (Steve Zahn is tons o'fun). Other key roles are played by Delroy Lindo as the CIA Agent and William H. Macy as the curmudgeeonly Admiral Jame Sandecker.

The sets and locations are gorgeous.Sahara was shot in England, Spain and, for the real desert Morocco.

The movie is loaded with cliches ans stereotypes and does modern Africa, and its tragic civil wars in many countries, no favours with its simple-mindedness.

Get past that and there is nary a thing to take seriously. Sahara really is a romp that will take you on a ride.








Star Quality Matthew McConaughey, Penelop Cruz
Behind the Camera Breck Einer (Thoughtcrimes)
Rating Rating PG (Violence)
Sun Rating 3 Suns (out of Five)

:o just got done reading some reviews for sahara and most of them were not good ones although most of the ctitics gave sahara a c grade they dubbed it dry boring and too over the top now im holding out my review im going to see it tonight with my dad we are both big cussler fans and hope its good because i would like to see more than one movie i hope to give it a th: but lets hope its not one of these yike: why did they make this movie stay tuned for more

Perfect example as to why I never rely on the movie critics opinions of movies. I've always watched the movies and decided for myself, great concept!! I loved this movie and hope to see more of CC's books on the big screen!!

i totaly agree ppl should never others to go a movie if they didn't like it

Nice article, archer. Most critics seem to be giving it 3 out 5 stars. The plot did seem a lit tle twisted in the movie, though. I like what the Orlando Sentinel said about it - good clean fun. Thats rare in a movie nowadays. ;)