Camel fodder (Sahara (DVD))

Member Name: Ludwig

Product:	Sahara (DVD)
Date:	28/02/07 (152 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Low Brow Entertainment

Disadvantages: You've seen it all before

The leading characters of this film embark on an adventure in search of a ship's treasure. Their journey takes them through Africa in search of what the local people refer to as the Ship of Death: a lost Civil War battleship that may contain the valuable cargo.

The screenplay of Sahara tells two connected stories: Eva Rojas is searching for a cure to a mysterious disease while a group of adventurers are on a quest for lost treasure. Unfortunately these two storylines remain rather disjointed throughout the whole of the film. One plot strand is continuously being discarded for the other and this leaves a huge gap in the film where the treasure hunt is conveniently forgotten about until its reintroduction near the end of the film. The plot of the movie in general borders on the ridiculous as characters appear from one scene to the next without any link up or explanation. The opening civil war scene seems totally unnecessary.


I accept that the director has tried to make a film that is intended as a piece of high action entertainment that will no doubt leave many feeling satisfied but there are no complex clues and convoluted plots to take you through the movie. There are though plenty of stunt sequences, big guns and the obligatory helicopters piloted by nasty army blokes. This is an action adventure movie that's aimed at providing a form of escapism that is a popular reason for many to watch such movies, but I feel that Director Breck Eisner has made a poor attempt at an 'Indiana Jones' type film. The action for the most part is mindless and over the top and the film relies on humour that is not far from the worst that Hollywood produces. Even where it might succeed there is a sense of 'we've been there and done it before'. It's kind of a worn out trail; there are no original angles or themes taken up.


On a more positive note the cinematographer Seamus McGarvey has managed to produce epic vistas that contrast nicely with intimate close-ups of the main leads. There are also some nice desert sequences, particularly at sunrise and sunset. But despite this I feel that opportunities to explore the cultures of the African countries are missed and their local inhabitants are largely undervalued.


If all you seek is something undemanding where you can leave your brain in neutral, then perhaps you will enjoy this film. Sahara won't be on anyone's list of classic "must-see" films, but perhaps it will might fill a few hours of an otherwise boring night in.

Cast Matthew McConaughey, Penélope Cruz, Steve Zahn, Lambert Wilson, Glynn Turman
Director(s) Breck Eisner
Writer(s) Thomas Dean Donnelly, James V. Hart, Josh Oppenheimer, John C. Richards
Genre(s) Action, Adventure
Running Time 127 minutes
PG-13- for action violence


The dvd special features include a commentary by director Breck Eisner and Matthew McConaughey, three featurettes, deleted scenes (with optional audio commentary)

Video format: Widescreen anamorphic

Number of discs: 1

Subtitles: English, Spanish

Summary: Average action adventure film