DVD Review: Sahara

Sahara is right up there in the dubious company of National Treasure and the Tomb Raider movies: solid, well-crafted, reasonably enjoyable action adventures that are almost entirely, and instantly, forgettable.

The most entertaining element of Sahara is the easy interplay between Matthew McConaughey, as treasure hunter Dirk Pitt (Buck Plankchest! Brick Hardmeat!), and Steve Zahn, as partner/sidekick Al Giordino. McConaughey is now probably better known for naked bonging than acting, but he does have movie star charisma, and is extremely charming and likeable as Pitt. And Zahn is, as he so often is, the single best thing in the film. You know who he should make a movie with? Paul Rudd — another guy who is often the best thing in any movie he appears in. I think they'd be an excellent screen pairing. (Oh, wait, they already appeared in a movie together, and it sucked.)

Rainn Wilson (probably best known for taking the "Gareth" role in the American version of The Office) is also funny as the secondary sidekick, and William H. Macy appears to have a lot of fun (while collecting a fat paycheck) as Admiral Sandecker, Dirk and Al's boss. And Penelope Cruz — as Eva Rojas, the World Health Organization's hottest doctor — is perfectly fine as the love interest. Though strangely, the romantic subplot is almost non-existent — I mean, even more non-existent than it usually is in an action film. Cruz and McConaughey have flirty chemistry, but there's never really any romantic pursuit. The movie just kind of assumes that these two pretty people deserve to be together, and therefore why waste any time showing the process? It's just a given: they're a couple, now here's some stuff blowing up. They don't even kiss until the final scene, after all the action is done. Maybe it's just me, but that seemed weird.

Article Author: Tom the Dog

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