Sahara's Shimmering Mirage
Despite Some Fun, It's Vast and Empty

I love the idea that there are parallel universes where things may have happened just a little differently. I like to think, for example, that there may be a universe where a movie like Sahara was made correctly. That's not to say that it's a bad movie. Certainly not. At worst, it's a mediocre, middle-of-the-road film. But it could have been better. In the hands of a more experienced director, it may have avoided some of the obvious problems that hold back a pretty good story.

Too many reviewers have compared Sahara to the Indiana Jones movies. That's understandable, considering that they both deal with archaeologists looking for a lost artifact of some sort. It's also very misleading, as if these meanderings resemble anything close to "adventure." The continuous references in previews (and even in the poster) to a gold coin make it seem like a modern-day treasure hunt. In truth, it is more like a James Bond movie -- but without any style.

Matthew McConaughey plays Dirk Pitt, a deep-sea archaeologist who helps salvage the past from the ocean floor. Dirk also has a personal obsession. He is convinced that a Confederate ironclad from the U.S. Civil War somehow ended up in Africa after the conflict. With his trusty sidekick Al (Steve Zahn), he talks their ship's captain into allowing them to investigate a lead while they are in the area.

The other story going on in the film was a bit of a surprise because it never appeared in any of the previews. Penélope Cruz plays a doctor in the World Health Organization who is trying to locate the source of a local illness that seems to be affecting the population. She quickly discovers that she may know too much after her investigation nearly gets her killed. Not surprisingly, her story and that of Dirk Pitt cross paths. The search for the missing war ship also becomes a race to find the source of the illness. (As Hannibal Smith once said, "I love it when a plan comes together.")

First, let me say that when it comes to casting, this film was way off. Despite being a fan of McConaughey and Cruz, I did not think that either was right for the role. McConaughey is a good actor, and I can almost buy him as a deep-sea expert. Nevertheless, I fail to see him as the super spy type. No matter how you dress Cruz up with glasses or a lab coat, she's never going to look like a doctor -- let alone a WHO official. Even William H. Macy, who I adore in almost everything, seemed miscast as a former naval admiral. The only good choice for this film was Zahn as the wise-cracking sidekick. His off-kilter humor provided the perfect blend of comic relief and believability. Despite his uncharacteristic heroism toward the end of the film, he seemed the most realistic character of the lot.

The settings of Sahara are engaging at times, but fail to capture the epic vastness of the desert or the beauty of Africa. Because this is essentially an action film, the scenery is often wasted. The only truly inspired set is the solar array that is headquarters to a wealthy industrialist. Nevertheless, it does little but provide a high-tech setting for one of the film's inevitable showdowns.

Finally, I can't let this review end without mentioning the horrible soundtrack that accompanies this mix-up of a film. The score, with its bleating trumpets, seems directly lifted from the James Bond films. Countering this is an array of '70s rock, including "Sweet Home Alabama" and "We're an American Band," that neither fit the setting nor the time period.

As of this writing, there is a legal battle brewing between the film makers and Clive Cussler (on whose novel Sahara is based). Cussler contends that he given approval of the script in his contract, but the final script used by the director is significantly different than the one he approved. Director Breck Eisner, however, responded saying that they "stayed true to the spirit of the books." Having not read the book, I cannot answer how far Eisner strayed. It does seem apparent that something went wrong. Whether it was in the adaptation of the novel or in the production of the film itself, I can't help but think someone made a mistake.

MY RATING: 5 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME: 127 min.

Sahara's Shimmering Mirage Despite Some Fun, It's Vast and Empty

Sahara's Shimmering Mirage
Despite Some Fun, It's Vast and Empty