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!

Enemy Of The State

Enemy of the State

A Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckhemimer Production

Will Smith

Gene Hackman

Regina King

Jon Voight

Gabriel Byrn

Loren Den

Jake Busey

Barry Pepper

Rated R for violence, language and brief sexuality/innuendo

My rating: 4 stars for excellence

Robert Clayton Dean is a successful D.C. Attorney and happily married family man who lives in relative peace. Little does he know that his life will soon be ripped to pieces... and unless he takes drastic action, he won't get it back. Unknown to him, he has in his possession a video of a murder... a political murder. And the murderer is willing to go to all lengths to get rid of it and anyone who may know about it. The result is lots of action, some humor, some tears and a good feeling when you're done watching the film.

What I liked:

1: The wonderful relationship between Dean and his wife. In spite of their mistakes (and there were some big ones), their relationship grew stronger through each storm they weathered.

2: How Dean always had his wife and kid on his brain, regardless of what he was going through.

3: Dean's determination to live, even if it meant doing some of the stupidest, most uncomfortable things he'd ever heard of.

4: Gene Hackman's character and the relationship between him and Dean. It was an interesting physiological mix of hate and respect, that eventually turned to appreciation and, shall I say?, affection.

5: The way I totally got the story and what was happening, even though it moved very quickly.

6: Not being much with electronics, etc, I doubly appreciated how easily I could understand what each piece of technological equipment was for and how it worked.

7: This movie was extremely well acted, well directed, and all the strings were neatly tied when the movie was finished.

8: Even with the elements that I didn't care for, I must admit that nothing seemed excessive or out of place. Each scene and sequence fit very well and helped flavor the film.

9: It seemed totally 100% realistic. Being raised in a home that questions everything about the culture we live in and our leaders, I was very interested in the message of this film. And it was this: we have little privacy. As Will Smith said in an interview, “The only privacy we have is in our heads.” It's a movie that made me think and I think it's a movie that will be around for awhile because (I hope!) there are other people who appreciate being woke up.

The things I didn't like:

1: The language.

2: The sexual content... which, thankfully, was “tastefully done”. There is a scene in a Victorian Secret store, in which Dean is trying to buy some lingerie for his wife. One could cover the screen and listen to the dialog because it is important to the rest of the story. Scene two that is a little colorful is when Dean finds that nearly all his clothing is bugged or has censers. He strips down in an apartment quickly, while the older oriental lady looks on and claps enthusiastically... but Dean only gets down to his undershirt and skivvies (which, thankfully, the bad guys forgot to bug... Lol!) before he starts to run again. That actually was the most disturbing scene for me because I tend to want to respect older ladies and this one had me totally disgusted. :-P Another scene is when Dean and Gene Hackman's character film a congressman having an affair with someone who isn't his wife. The camera pans away before one sees too much and even then, you can simply cover the screen and listen to the dialog, which is also important. The final scene (that I can remember) is when Dean and his wife see each other for the first time in a few days and engage in an affectionate embrace (mostly kissing) that includes Carla wearing the lingerie he got for her. Again, it's tastefully done but personally, I would cover the screen.

What surprised me in this film:

1: The appearance Gabriel Byrne. I love his role from Little Women (2002) as Professor Baer so was pleasantly surprised with his brief but memorable appearance here.

Do I recommend this film? To a mature audience, definitely. If you enjoy a good film, with intrigue, a beautiful romance (I love it when the romance is between a married couple :-)), lots of action, a good message and all the strings tied, watch Enemy of the State.