Sahara (B or 3/4 stars)
'Sahara' is a fun-loving action film directed by Breck Eisner. And it is based on a novel written by Clive Cussler. Much like last years' National Treasure, I found myself thinking that the plot of this movie was contrived, and yet, I had such a great time watching it.
We start in flashback: It is the Civil War & a Confederate ironclad ship is under attack. By the next scene, we find out that Dirk (Matthew McConaughey) will be searching for the legendary ship in none other than the Sahara. Apparently, there is some sort of treasure on that ship that he and his sidekick, Al (Steve Zahn) are seeking. Sounds ridiculous, but we go with it for the time being. Dirk and Al set off to Africa, borrowing Admiral Sandecker's (William H. Macy) boat, & heading off on the Niger River to find the buried ship. What they come to find out is that a water-induced plague is spreading in the African nation, Mali. Parallel to Dirk's story, Dr. Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz) and other members of WHO are trying to find the source of this plague & contain it before it hits the Atlantic Ocean. The two parties meet in Africa, help each other out, hence the reason why they ultimately wind up in, generally, the same places for a good part of the movie.
African Gen. Kazim, & a French Billionaire are conspiring together to get even richer than they already are. They are masterminding something horrible that is actually responsible for creating this plague. However, the fate of people's lives is no concern of theirs. These men are the classic bad guys in this high octane adventure. What ensues is a mass conglomeration of chases on boats, planes, trains, gorgeous automobiles, races against time & narrow escapes, mixed with hysterical moments of comic relief, & fitting moments of romance. Will the good guys find the ironclad ship in the dunes? Can they halt the bad guys' plans? What measures will they take to defend themselves in the desert? All these questions are answered & with great flair.
Overall, the intense action scenes are nail-biting & some of the most original sequences I've seen in a while (one particular boat chase on the Niger River got my heart racing). The plot is heavily detailed, but not always believable. And like, National Treasure, everything is a bit over the top. But as stated before, who really cares? I don't. It was mindless & wonderful. I cringed, squirmed, caught my breath, laughed & was entertained, to say the least.
Matthew McConaughey is a good actor, a great action hero, and a striking figure on screen; not to mention immensely popular. I am surprised that he isn't more 'mainstream' in the films he chooses. And he rarely chooses to do films, at all. Steve Zahn is perfect in the sidekick role; great chemistry between him & Matthew. These may be the only roles he is getting recently, but he excels at them. And Penelope Cruz, I have to say, has never looked better; she acts quite nicely, as well. I recommend this film to people of all ages who want a film to passively roll over them and make them forget their troubles for 2 hours.
We start in flashback: It is the Civil War & a Confederate ironclad ship is under attack. By the next scene, we find out that Dirk (Matthew McConaughey) will be searching for the legendary ship in none other than the Sahara. Apparently, there is some sort of treasure on that ship that he and his sidekick, Al (Steve Zahn) are seeking. Sounds ridiculous, but we go with it for the time being. Dirk and Al set off to Africa, borrowing Admiral Sandecker's (William H. Macy) boat, & heading off on the Niger River to find the buried ship. What they come to find out is that a water-induced plague is spreading in the African nation, Mali. Parallel to Dirk's story, Dr. Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz) and other members of WHO are trying to find the source of this plague & contain it before it hits the Atlantic Ocean. The two parties meet in Africa, help each other out, hence the reason why they ultimately wind up in, generally, the same places for a good part of the movie.
African Gen. Kazim, & a French Billionaire are conspiring together to get even richer than they already are. They are masterminding something horrible that is actually responsible for creating this plague. However, the fate of people's lives is no concern of theirs. These men are the classic bad guys in this high octane adventure. What ensues is a mass conglomeration of chases on boats, planes, trains, gorgeous automobiles, races against time & narrow escapes, mixed with hysterical moments of comic relief, & fitting moments of romance. Will the good guys find the ironclad ship in the dunes? Can they halt the bad guys' plans? What measures will they take to defend themselves in the desert? All these questions are answered & with great flair.
Overall, the intense action scenes are nail-biting & some of the most original sequences I've seen in a while (one particular boat chase on the Niger River got my heart racing). The plot is heavily detailed, but not always believable. And like, National Treasure, everything is a bit over the top. But as stated before, who really cares? I don't. It was mindless & wonderful. I cringed, squirmed, caught my breath, laughed & was entertained, to say the least.
Matthew McConaughey is a good actor, a great action hero, and a striking figure on screen; not to mention immensely popular. I am surprised that he isn't more 'mainstream' in the films he chooses. And he rarely chooses to do films, at all. Steve Zahn is perfect in the sidekick role; great chemistry between him & Matthew. These may be the only roles he is getting recently, but he excels at them. And Penelope Cruz, I have to say, has never looked better; she acts quite nicely, as well. I recommend this film to people of all ages who want a film to passively roll over them and make them forget their troubles for 2 hours.