Action/adventure movies have to have more than action and adventure in order to work - otherwise they just end up being pale copies of each other with only minor variations. At the very least, they need an intriguing story line and good performances. On those counts, "Sahara" works pretty well. Admittedly, at first glance this would appear to be something of a "Raiders of the Lost Ark" clone, with the emphasis on treasure hunting. However, once it gets going it's far more intriguing, and, of course, with a more modern flair to it. It's about the quest for a Confederate ironclad that ran the Union blockade in the last days of the Civil War and is now inexplicably reputed to be buried in the sands of the Sahara. How it got there is one mystery in the movie. That story ends up being linked with a mysterious plague that's starting to spread in northwest Africa, and finally with a potential environmental catastrophe that needs to be stopped. The three stories blend together very well. Being set in modern Africa also allows for some consideration of the problem of "warlordism" that still afflicts parts of that continent. So, the story works.
So do the performances. I'm not a huge fan of Matthew McConnaughy to be honest, but he was very good as Dirk Pitt, the leader of the expedition looking for the ironclad, and he was complemented very nicely by Steve Zahn as his sidekick Al. The two shared some witty dialogue and both were well partnered with Penelope Cruz as the doctor from the World Health Organization who's investigating the plague and, in a somewhat lesser role, by Rainn Wilson as Rudi, a fellow adventurer. Also featured fairly prominently (although most of his scenes were his own; he wasn't in partnership too much with the others) was William H. Macy as Dirk's boss.
It's what you'd expect in such a movie in terms of adventure and action, but the intrigue in the storyline and good performances raise it up a notch or two. 7/10
So do the performances. I'm not a huge fan of Matthew McConnaughy to be honest, but he was very good as Dirk Pitt, the leader of the expedition looking for the ironclad, and he was complemented very nicely by Steve Zahn as his sidekick Al. The two shared some witty dialogue and both were well partnered with Penelope Cruz as the doctor from the World Health Organization who's investigating the plague and, in a somewhat lesser role, by Rainn Wilson as Rudi, a fellow adventurer. Also featured fairly prominently (although most of his scenes were his own; he wasn't in partnership too much with the others) was William H. Macy as Dirk's boss.
It's what you'd expect in such a movie in terms of adventure and action, but the intrigue in the storyline and good performances raise it up a notch or two. 7/10