Sahara is about Dirk’s obsession with finding the sunken wreckage (and potential treasure trapped within it) of an ironclad Civil War ship that made a mysterious trip across the Atlantic to Africa.  Dirk is an explorer/adventurer working for a privately funded group, headed by a grumpy admiral (William H. Macy), that uncovers lost artifacts and other treasures and then sells them to museums.  Dirk leads the treasure hunters throughout the world with his right hand man Al (Steve Zahn), his best friend from grade school through NAVY Seals. 

The film starts with another successful treasure hunt off the coast of Africa where Dirk ends up saving a World Health Organization doctor, Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz), from some thugs in the process.  Rojas is investigating a potential plague outbreak in Africa that may have something to do with an African warlord.  After finding an old Civil War coin pointing to the existence of Dirk’s legendary ghost ship, Dirk and Al, along with one of the techies (Rainn Wilson), embark on a mission up the Niger River to try and find the mysterious ship.  Meanwhile, Dr. Rojas continues her investigation into this horrible outbreak that threatens the world.

Not long after starting their trip up the Niger River, Dirk and his crew run into some African military boats out to blow them out of the water.  After a tense battle, Dirk and his crew end up stranded on shore and having to make their way across the Sahara desert to find civilization.  They end up running into a group of warriors fighting against the African warlord and they save Dr. Rojas again, who is out in the desert close to the source of the mysterious plague, from the warlord’s thugs.  Dirk and Al’s military background and survival training keep the group going and help them stay one step ahead of the warlord’s thugs and soldiers.  It’s not long before the mysterious plague, Dirk’s famed ghost ship, and the warlord’s true motivations come together and it’s up to Dirk and Al (along with Dr. Rojas) to save the day.      

CRITIQUE

Sahara is a pale imitation of Indiana Jones with a ridiculous story full of so many ludicrous coincidences and outrageous moments it’s amazing that it still manages to entertain.  The credit has to be given to Breck Eisner (that’s Michael Eisner’s son) for his exciting and energetic directing style and the hilarious supporting performances from the cast to compensate for the implausible plot and somewhat lifeless lead performances.

Matthew McConaughey wants (badly) for this character to be in vein of Indiana Jones and other older action/adventure heroes that rode off on charisma, cockiness, and a surefire perfect smile.  Problem is, it just feels stale and ridiculous.  This worked before action films morphed into something more in the past decade, providing us with more complex and flawed heroes.  Dirk Pitt is a throwback, his hair never fusses, his teeth are perfect and white, he dispenses with any danger like it was clipping a nail, and he never once seems any deeper than a puddle.  This used to work for some films back in the day and still can with a truly charismatic and terrific lead performance.  But McConaughey just doesn’t hit the right notes.  He tries to hard and it shows.  On the extras he even mentions how he thinks this will spawn sequels, he’s just so sure that this is a blockbuster but it is no where near that good and his character is too bland and forgettable to warrant one.  The only way a sequel will happen is if these DVD sales skyrocket (unlikely).  It doesn’t help that Penelope Cruz just sleepwalks through the film.  She has had a few good performances before, but after seeing this one it’s hard to believe.  Even harder to believe is that she is supposed to be a WHO doctor.  And even harder to believe than that is that Cruz and McConaughey started a relationship during this, they have just about zero chemistry (which really hurts the film). 

As poor as those two lead performances are, they are almost made up for by the supporting cast, which is just stellar.  Steve Zahn is hilarious as Dirk’s lifelong buddy and confidant Al, injecting much-needed comic relief throughout.  Zahn needs to pick his projects a little better; he is a gifted comedian who can shine in the right films (like his great turn in Out of Sight).  He has a nice, natural chemistry with McConaughey, which lends itself nicely to the laid back and goofy feel of the film.  Rainn Wilson is also brilliantly funny as one of the technical support geeks brought along to help Dirk and Al.  Wilson nails his minor scenes with his unique comic sensibilities (which are currently being used to perfect effect on NBC’s The Office).  William H. Macy is, as always, terrific as the gruff and serious admiral who has to hear in horror how Dirk and Al have destroyed another of his ships or equipment in their adventures.  Delroy Lindo is also strong in a brief but excellent role.

Director Breck Eisner infuses the film with energy, fun and beauty (cinematographer Seamus McGarvey frames some absolutely beautiful African scenery giving the film a great sense of place).  Given the weak and ludicrous script, this is truly the film’s saving grace.  There are some terrifically filmed and executed action sequences as well, namely the boat sequence up the Niger and the climatic battle scene.  Eisner shows some true potential here that should suit him well once a decent script comes his way.

THE VIDEO

The transfer is presented in 16:9 enhanced widescreen and is quite good.  The film is blanketed in red, yellow, and orange colors, which are vividly enhanced in this transfer giving the film a unique and vibrant look.  The African scenery throughout is breathtaking.  The only downside is in the dark areas where there are some grain and hue problems.  

THE AUDIO

Sahara is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and the presentation is terrific.  The 70s southern-rock infused soundtrack sounds great, the balances are good, and the surround is full of zip.  The only issue was with the dialogue where the background noise muffles it at times.  But for the most part, this audio presentation is a strong one.

THE EXTRAS

Two Commentaries – The first commentary is with director Breck Eisner and is atrociously dry and boring.  He covers the basics and goes through all of the technical aspects of making the film but he does so in a very dull and dry way.  But the second commentary more than makes ups for it.  The second one is with Eisner and McConaughey, and it is terrifically entertaining and funny.  McConaughey is a very funny and engaging guy who does have passion and energy for the film (he was a producer on it as well) and he nicely compensates for Eisner’s dryness (infusing the commentary with funny stories and even jokes).

Across the Sands of Sahara – This featurette is basically just 15 minutes of everyone congratulating each other for making such an amazing film.  This was an intensely irritating extra because, again, they are treating this film like it is a blockbuster success and that McConaughey has created the ultimate action hero (nothing could be further from the truth).  But being that this is just a self-promotional fluff piece, what else would you expect in the extra?

Visualizing Sahara – This was an interesting and informative featurette on achieving the look of the film delving into costumes, conceptual art, and even the use of the special filters used on the cameras to evoke the sense of intense heat.  There is a ton of info packed into this 20 minute extra and I found it extremely interesting.  After that second commentary track, this would be the next best extra on the disc.

Cast and Crew Wrap Film – This is a gag reel that was put together for the crew at the end of the filming that has candid behind-the-scenes moments from most of the stars and some of the crew.  There are a few funny bits and it’s well put together, it’s quite obvious everyone involved had a blast making the film (it even spawned a relationship between Cruz and McConaughey).

Deleted Scenes – Standard deleted scenes with optional commentary from Eisner.  These are scenes that should have been cut, were cut, and add nothing to the story or the characters. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Sahara is a mildly entertaining action-adventure film that succeeds, only because of the competent direction from Breck Eisner and the great supporting cast, despite its ludicrous plot and lifeless lead performances.  It is nowhere near as good as Indiana Jones (or even National Treasure for that matter) but not quite as bad as Tomb Raider (if that helps you).  The DVD has a decent audio and video presentation, as well as a surprising number of extras to top it off.