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 "Sahara" Chris' Review: When I heard that Clive Cussler was in court with the production company over the adaptation of his novel, I assumed that the movie would be absolute crap. Only afterwards did I learn that his novel was a serious-minded treasure hunt story, and not a comedy/action-adventure. Then I learned that he had turned down the first SEVEN scripts... and this version had FOUR screenwriters. Something just isn't jiving, says me. So, aside from whatever the novel was about, I enjoyed Sahara. It was pure fun. It was the cotton-candy of movies. There were plot holes, a lack of real substance, an over-abundance of eye-candy... but it's really something that you enjoy digesting. In an effort to relive the Indiana Jones franchise, Sahara replaces the battlecry of "This belongs in a museum!" with concerns about the environment. It takes out the evil Nazis and replaces them with African warlords. The problem with this is that it ends up feeling like you've been down this road before, yet it was so much more fun with Nazis. Matthew McConaughey plays Dirk Pitt, the ex-seal turned scavaging pirate with an over-abundance of charisma. Again, you keep thinking how Indy was so much more believable because he would occasionally get cold-cocked by the bad guy or slapped by the heroine. He was more human, not as much of a superman. Still, McConaughey shows that he's definitely up to the part of leading man and I only hope that if Dirk Pitt becomes the next big franchise, that they write him a bit more believably. Steve Zahn plays Al Giordino as Dirk's wise-cracking side-kick. Zahn is wonderfully fun to watch, his comedic timing is beautiful and I enjoyed him MUCH more than Short-Round. In THIS instance, I think the change was an improvement. Penelope Cruz, plays Eva Rojas... who told this woman that she could act? Why isn't that person being strung up as I type this? Cruz does everything she can to derail this movie with her waifish pouting and firey stares... luckily the direction is stronger than her co-called thespian skills. One disappointment was the waste of William H Macy (Retired Admiral James Sandecker). An actor of his caliber should have been given a little more to do than play occasional lacky to Dirk's adventures. Even with all the plot holes (of which there are MANY), the unrealistic leaps of faith, and the tenuous stretches to one's suspension of disbelief, first-time director, Breck Eisner (a protege of Spielberg) does an amazing job of keeping all the plot lines from getting too tangled up, keeping even the most depressing of sequences light-hearted, and making even the dirtiest of Third World locations look inviting and exotic! For his first try, I'll be the first to say that it's a triumph and I'm anxious to see more of his work. So the movie has a lot to offer to someone who's looking to just be entertained for a couple hours, but if you want any sort of depth, moral, or cultural significance, I would suggest looking in another direction. I give Sahara 3 thumbs up... rather low, but only for it's lack of originality and substance. It was certainly an entertaining film that was well put together.   Jim's Review: BackHome - Info - Reviews - Map - Message Board - Photo Album |
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