SYNOPSIS:
When master explorer
Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) finds a fabled coin linked to a historical
legend, he takes on the adventure of his life as he embarks on a treasure
hunt through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa. As they
search for what locals call the “Ship of Death” – a long-lost
Civil War battleship that protects a secret cargo – Dirk and his wisecracking
sidekick, Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), meet Dr. Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz),
a beautiful and brilliant doctor who believes that the hidden treasure may
be connected to a larger problem that threatens the world around them.
Hunting for a ship that no one else thinks exists, Dirk, Al, and Eva must
rely on their wits and their daring heroics to outsmart dangerous warlords,
survive the threatening terrain, and get to the bottom of both mysteries.
MOVIE
REVIEW :
Before
we venture into the review of the movie itself, let’s just step back
a little and gossip a bit about the trivia behind the production of “Sahara”.
Although based on the best-selling Clive Cussler’s novel, the writer
himself never endorsed the movie when it was released. You see, Mr Cussler
is very particular about his novels being adapted into motion pictures.
He wanted full reins on the production instead of the usual practice of
selling the rights and leaving it to the producers. As we all know, Hollywood
has always been loosely adapting writer’s works into marketable products
which of course explained Mr Cussler’s worries. The last we heard
there’s still a lawsuit pending.
Secondly, “Sahara”
is directed by Breck Eisner. Not that it matters but Mr Eisner’s dad
is none other than the infamous ex-Disney CEO, Michael Eisner.
That concludes the gossip
part but in reality, they certainly hyped up the movie’s expectations
for the wrong reasons. “Sahara” begins with a flashback to the
civil war whereby crates of treasure are believed to be buried in a long-lost
battleship. Our hero, Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) and his friend, Al
(Steve Zahn) decides to what else, hunt for this battleship not before they
are embroiled in a matter that involves a WHO doctor (Penelope Cruz), warlords,
toxic waste and also the safety of the entire globe.
It’s irresistible
not to compare “Sahara” with “National Treasure”
(the Nicholas Cage vehicle which ironically was financed by Disney) as both
has the leads embarking on some treasure-hunting spree and both opens with
a flashback to the good old days. While the latter is more focused on the
clues and such, “Sahara” along the way decides to throw in a
“saving the world” plotline as well. And so with the introduction
of Cruz’s character and the Warlords, the story sort of lost the initial
focus and the first major action sequence starts to kick in at the 40 minutes
mark to distract your discomfortness.
Not that “Sahara”
is a bad movie, the buff up Matthew McConaughey is as believable as Dirk
Pitt, he is charismatic, skillful in combat, full of wits, the true modern
version of “Indiana Jones”. Steve Zahn who plays Pitt’s
sidekick is the usual “clowning” role you seen countless of
times onscreen. Even though Penelope has been criticized widely for her
miscast in her Dr Eva Rojas role, I see nothing wrong with that. Her heavily
accented English and exotic looks blend perfectly into the WHO doctor role.
And the trio perfectly entertained with their chemistry. Who can forget
such great supporting players liked William H. Macy and Delroy Lindo.
Credits must be given
to Eisner for successfully accomplishing plenty of lavish action sequences
in “Sahara” given his inexperience in Hollywood blockbusters.
While the script was pretty lackluster, the action weren’t. The boat
chase sequence, camels-chasing-the-train sequence and the finale were a
hoot to watch. Given the stunning exotic location shoots in Morocco, the
wide views of the desert are picturesque, a real feast to the eyes. It’s
evitable that “Sahara” relied very little on matte paintings
and soundstages, the usual safe confined method of filming favoured by Hollywood.
The actions are unreal
and illusory at times, nevertheless entertaining enough to spend your Sunday
watching this. It’s still early to say if there’s any sequels
planned unless Mr Cussler agrees of course. So get this disc from Cinenow,
sit back and enjoy this wild ride!
SPECIAL
FEATURES :
Rather
poor serving on the special features on this Region 3 disc. Pathetically,
there's only the trailer which is presented in fullscreen. The behind the
scenes segment which last 4 minutes is just a dull presentation of what
else, behind the scenes shots. The two interviews are nothing but a brief
piece of "public relations" work. Altogether, offers zilch into
the making, effects, action choreography etc.
AUDIO:
Opt
for the
English 5.1 Dolby Digital (if you have) and give your surround
speakers a good workout! The dialogues are clear and not overwhelmed by
the loud explosions and sound effects. A pretty good mix indeed.
VISUAL:
Expect
very good image transfer on this disc. The images presented are of high
clarity and the exotic locations which the movie is shot at are portrayed
remarkably vibrant on-screen.
MOVIE
RATING:
DVD RATING:
Review by Linus Tee
