November 14, 2005
Sahara is big, dumb, bouncy, summer-flick fun. Exactly what it says on the poster. It's as wide as Matthew McConaughey's grin and as colourful as his tan. Based on a Clive Cussler bestseller, it features McConaughey as the unlikely-named hero Dirk Pitt. Wide-boy, treasure-hunter and hunk, Pitt leads a rag-tag group in search of a hundred year old boat which may or may not be buried in the Sahara. Thrills, spills and whopping set pieces light the way.
If you like crashing pop-vid soundtracks and fast-cut edits, youre in clover. But they're way overdone and undermine the tempo. Far-fetched and as empty as an upended popcorn carton, Sahara has little substance. Its along the gung-ho lines of The Mummy and the Raiders series, but lacks the wit and sophistication of either. It tries hard, but like the schoolkid of a movie it is, it could do better.
If you like crashing pop-vid soundtracks and fast-cut edits, youre in clover. But they're way overdone and undermine the tempo. Far-fetched and as empty as an upended popcorn carton, Sahara has little substance. Its along the gung-ho lines of The Mummy and the Raiders series, but lacks the wit and sophistication of either. It tries hard, but like the schoolkid of a movie it is, it could do better.