2005 Directed by Breck Eisner
Scouring the ocean depths for treasure-laden shipwrecks is business as usual for a thrill-seeking underwater adventurer and his wisecracking buddy. But when these two cross paths with a beautiful doctor, they find themselves on the ultimate treasure hunt.
Matthew McConaughey Penélope Cruz Steve Zahn William H. Macy Lennie James Lambert Wilson Rainn Wilson Glynn Turman Clint Dyer Delroy Lindo Robert Cavanah Jude Akuwudike Mark Aspinall Rakie Ayola Christopher Bello Patrick Malahide Nicholas Beveney Empotoe Bosage Matthew Flynn Paulin Fodouop Ouahbou Houcine Emmanuel Ighodaro Maurice Lee Daniel Njo Lobé Francis Magee Thierno Amath Mbaye Femi Ogunbanjo Eddie Osei Nathan Osgood Show All…
Howard Baldwin Stephanie Austin Karen Elise Baldwin Mace Neufeld Gus Gustawes William J. Immerman Matthew McConaughey Vicki Dee Rock
Matthew McConaughey could have been the next Indiana Jones had this sorely underrated action masterpiece not have bombed so hard. He is just as witty and cool as Harrison Ford with the suaveness of 007. Undoubtedly in my mind one of the most misunderstood action film in recent memory. Ton of fun with exciting action and a humongous dose of comedy making this an unforgettable 2-hour experience.
"I am so tired of being shot at!"
Direction: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Cast and characters: 9/10
Action: 10/10
Cinematography: 10/10
Editing: 9/10
Visual Effects: 9/10
Music: 8/10
Rewatchability: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
95/100
McConaughey had to go through his Burt Reynolds phase from roughly the years 2003 to 2011, successfully cocooning his abilities as an actor. You can tell he had a hell of a fun time just living life those years. But from a cocoon comes a transformation and watching McConaughey transform his career is one of the more fascinating and redemptive arcs of an actors work. You have to have the downs to admire the ups that much more. As for Sahara, which pains me to even bring up, there is just no momentum to it whatsoever. So dull it hurts.
"Sahara" should work. The Breck Eisner-directed adventure film boasts Matthew McConaughey exhibiting classic leading man chops, a story communicating life-and-death stakes, and a cinematic dynamic trumpeting a James Bond-meets-Indiana Jones sensibility. The ingredients for the next great adventure film are all there, but they result in something strangely uninteresting. The parts may shine, but the sum is lackluster.
Starring McConaughey as Clive Cussler's adventurer, Dirk Pitt, "Sahara" follows Pitt and comrades on on odyssey involving Civil War-era shipwrecks, African plagues, and general derring-do. The plot combines an audacious hodge-podge of elements and easily retains the treasure-hunting, techno-adventuresome spirit of Cussler's novels.
Unfortunately, that story is executed with such a vanilla cinematic energy that what should enchant and excite falls flat.…
I've decided to spend my day off doing some African adventuring.
I've just been looking through some of the reviews of Sahara and bloody hell! No-one liked this film, did they? Crapped on from all angles and a disappointment at the box office, it's no wonder this didn't become the franchise that they had hoped for. Well I'm disappointed if no-one else is.
I thought Sahara was absolutely tremendous fun. Does it have a single solitary original thought in its head? Nope. Is it completely bone-headed and daft? Yep. Do I care? Not a jot. This really ticked most of the boxes when it came to an old fashioned action adventure as far as I'm concerned, with a good cast…
up to you whether or not the White People Save Africa plot is cancelled out by McConaughey/Zahn teamup (it is though). otherwise not spectacular or anything but as sturdy as any mid-tier Bond, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
Wow. Just wow. The hatred on Sahara is tremendous. Why it hated so much... I'll never understand!!!
Often regarded as one of the biggest box-office flops ever made, Sahara stars Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zhan as treasure hunting buddies who travel to Africa to look for a possible sunken Civil War ship (why it's in Africa is a long story). While that's going on, there's also a conspiracy afoot involving this epidemic plague killing the locals... with Penelope Cruz playing a doctor investigating. Weird combination of plots I know... but I just dig this film.
I know I know, there's way too much comparisons with Indiana Jones here, and many complained over the absurdity of the plot, but tell me…
Love this film, unashamedly. It flopped and I don't know why, it's so enjoyable
An ironclad battleship lost since the Civil War is discovered in the Sahara desert by explorer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey), who uses the ship's ancient cannons to defend himself and his Italian buddy Al Giordino (Steve Zahn) and the good doctor Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz), the hottie scientists they just happen to have on board. Their facing off against an African dictator (Lennie James) who is hovering over in his helicopter.
It's a cool scene, just like the sweet chase in a high-tech speedboat that Pitt takes from an admiral (William H. Macy). Its those sorts of scenes that really make you wanna cut Sahara some slack. Debuting director Brock Eisner, son of the former Disney chairman Michael Eisner, keeps…
Where: Home.
Who with: Dani.
Format: Amazon Prime.
A fun adventure romp that probably didn't deserve to flop as hard as it did. Everyone involved seems to be having a ball in it.
This is a really fun movie and a good example of the critics getting it wrong.
One of my all time favorite films. I know I'm biased as hell but it's super sad that this was the only film they made in this series.
I like the bit where Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn wind-surf across the Sahara desert in a destroyed plane to Magic Carpet Ride more than all of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
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