Sahara

Sahara

(2005)

PG-13 for violence

Matthew McConaughey

Penelope Cruz

Steve Zahn

William H. Macy

Rainn Wilson

Delroy Lindo

My Rating: 4 stars

Even though I'm somewhat of a fan of Indiana Jones, I must say that I thought this movie was as good or better. It had all the elements of Indiana Jones: legend, action, (clean) romance, medical, desert, lots of humor, etc, etc, except that I found it to rely not only on action to keep the audience fascinated. The story actually slowed down at times and there were 'breathers' in which I could quickly review or just enjoy the humor.

Ever heard about treasure seekers? How about ocean treasure seekers? Dirk and Al are best buds from college, all through military and afterwards. They're both dedicated but Dirk is seriously obsessed with a armored ship that disappeared during the Civil War and was rumored to have been last seen on the rivers of Africa. The rumors seem ridiculous to everyone but Dirk, and he searches ceaselessly. Al, of course, accompanies Dirk everywhere and helps get them through the tough situations with his ready wit.

Around about then, they meet two doctors who are trying to get to a city that seems to be the source of a plague that kills painfully and seemed to be spreading very quickly. One of these doctors is a woman. A beautiful woman to boot, and she's about to get into some serious trouble as she delves more deeply into the source of the plague. Guess who has to save the her and get the bad guys?

What I Liked:

1: How fully one felt the land, the story, the characters. It was so well directed and filmed that it seemed like the viewer was there.

2: How clean the romance was. The only kiss is at the very end.

3: The humor was super clean, too. My favorite line is Al's, “Hi. How are you?”

4: There was not too much offensive language.

5: The beautiful landscape... desert can be gorgeous.

6: Great story... a bit of an intrigue, which I love.

7: Excellent bad guys.

8: Penelope Cruz's character was modestly dressed for 75% of the film. I found that refreshing. :-)

What I didn't Like:

1: There was some offensive language. I think that the movie could be have been made more family friendly with the lack of it.

2: Penelope Cruz's character should have retained her over shirt after she was kidnapped. It would have fit into the storyline better, since that was her regular wear.

3: The bikini scene at the very end could have been cut out. It was totally put in there for guys to look at. BUT, for worried Mum's and Dad's, that scene can be covered with no damage done. Also, it could be completely skipped over since it's the very last scene of the movie.

Do I recommend this film? Yes. For very conservative readers, even though Penelope Cruz is in a tank top for some of the film, the action is very brisk and the camera doesn't rest on her for very long. The language is not terrible. I would say it's cleaner than Indiana Jones or most other action type films. And the humor is great!