My Movie Review on Sahara (2005) · 5:55pm Sep 12th, 2020

Yo, what's up, Kemosabes?

This is your friendly film, TV show, and episode reporter here with another review.

Today, I'm gonna give you guys my take of "Sahara". The 2005 film starring Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penelope Cruz to be precise.

Here's the rundown of this adventure:

Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino are two treasure hunters who have regularly worked for the National Underwater and Marine Agency, traveling the world onboard the NUMA, which is captained by Admiral James Sandecker.

Most recently, Dirk has found himself coming closer and closer to finding a relic he has long sought for: The CSS Texas, an ironclad warship that was captained by Confederate officer Mason Tombs during the American Civil War, which Dirk believes travelled across the ocean over a hundred years ago and landed somewhere in the Sahara desert.

However, while out on their quest for the CSS Texas, Dirk and Al escort the beautiful Dr. Eva Rojas up the Niger River. She is part of the World Health Organization, and is investigating a disease that she believes is originating and spreading from somewhere in Mali, an African country ruled by a tyrannical dictator named Zateb Kazim.

Unwittingly, Dirk, Al, and Eva find themselves embroiled in a fight for survival as Kazim hunts the trio down, particularly because he knows something about the disease that he doesn't want them to find out.

Will the trio of heroes find the source of the disease and get out of Mali alive? Or will Kazim have their heads?

What's more, will Dirk and Al ever find the CSS Texas?

This movie is a little something that my family and I would watch together on occasion. Every time we saw it, we'd have the time of our lives and be left with feelings of happiness and joy.

When I later found out about the mixed to negative reputation this movie received, as well as discovered the lack of success it had at the box office, I was deeply surprised. The only thing I don't know is what audiences think of the film, really.

Even now, I find this movie to be an absolute masterpiece. An unexpectedly underrated one too.

For instance, the direction by Breck Eisner, and the screenplay by James V. Hart, Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer, and John C. Richards, were spectacular!

What I particularly enjoyed was the filmmakers's ability to have the film acknowledge itself for what it is, but at the same time...create something that was instantly fun. At times, it may seem like the usual "treasure hunting adventure" sort of story. However, the film team created a concept that was unique and different on its own too, and it feels like a lot of passion and heart was put into it. Along with that, the story and plot line was intriguing to a tee, and everything tied together like a rope to a hook. The comedy aspect of the film was also marvelously well-done, with every joke being excellently executed and having wonderful innocence. There was powerful heart and emotion as well, the particular generators being the friendship between Dirk and Al, and the romance between Dirk and Eva. The action sequences were likewise deeply exhilarating, and the mystery aspect of the movie was grippingly engaging.

The acting, casting, characters, and character development were astounding as well. Each character had a personality that made them remarkably unique and full of life, and the performers fit their parts like a glove and looked like they were having a great time portraying their characters and being part of the movie. And while it may not seem like it at first, the characters had phenomenal growth.

It was Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penelope Cruz that I thought gave the best performances, and the characters of Dirk Pitt, Al Giordino, and Eva Rojas had wonderful development and shared entertaining chemistry between one another. I would like to add that Lennie James did an amazing job portraying Zateb Kazim, and his character was not only intimidating but a deliciously classical villain; Rainn Wilson was likewise quite a scene-stealer as Rudi Gunn, and his character was a lovable guy to be around; and, William H. Macy was wonderful in the role of James Sandecker, portraying his character with a personality that was both authoritative and admirable.

Finally, the music by Clint Mansell was magnificent. Mansell gave the film so many wonderful melodies that were instantaneously memorable, and they fit perfectly with the African settings and the movie's tone and concept, an example being the music used for the boat montage. Plus, the songs that were incorporated into the movie boosted the film all-the-more into being something fun to watch, such as Dr. John's "Right Place Wrong Time" and Grand Funk's "We're an American Band".

In conclusion, "Sahara (2005)" is an underrated gem that's all-out enjoyable. The performers and characters were incredible, the comedy was hilarious, everything!

So, I rate "Sahara (2005)" a solid five out of five stars.

Before I conclude this post, I'd like to show you guys a video that I made to promote my review of this movie on YouTube: