Battles and ships in the desert (Sahara (DVD))

Name: sunmeilan

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Product:	Sahara (DVD)
Date:	17/04/08 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Steve Zahn

Disadvantages: No characterisation, dull plot

Dirk Pitt, adventurer and former Marine, has long held an ambition to find a battleship that disappeared in the Sahara, a relic of the Civil War. He sets off to find it with best friend Al Giordino in tow. But the path of a true adventurer is never straightforward. On the way, he meets a UN doctor, Eva Rojas, who believes that an epidemic killing thousands of West Africans may have a human explanation. Certainly, an African warlord seems intent on seeing them out of the country. Will Dr Rojas be able to prove the source of the epidemic? And will Pitt and Giordino find their battleship?

Based on a book by Clive Cussler that I have never read, I didn't really have much of an idea of what this film would be about; I was encouraged to watch it simply because of Penelope Cruz. As Eva Rojas, she gives a reasonable performance, but I wasn't particularly bowled over. In some ways, Eva is a means to an end - she is in the film because Dirk needs to save someone - and there is very little chance to get to know her. She could have been played by almost any A-list or even B-list actress, and I wouldn't really have noticed the difference. And as for the chemistry between her and Dirk - well, there is none - watching them cavort in the sea together reminded me of watching a brother and sister messing around.

I am not the hugest fan of Matthew McConaughey. He has played some pretty stupid roles, especially in Failure to Launch and How to Lose a Guy..., and I don't find him attractive. As Dirk Pitt, he is incredibly cheesy. I think this is deliberate, although not having read the book, it is hard to be sure. In any case, I didn't like him. He looks the part of an adventurer - all rippling muscles and untamed hair - but I felt nothing for him and therefore his mission. In fact, his only saving grace is his friend, Al Giordino, played by Steve Zahn. As the amusing sidekick, Zahn did manage to capture my attention. Shame Eva Rojas didn't have the sense to go for him.

Lennie James makes a good baddie, all sneers and grimaces. He looked like he was enjoying himself anyway. One of my favourite actors, William H Macy appears as Pitt's superior, but sadly has no more than a few lines. Shame because I think he could have brought this film a touch of class that none of the other actors managed to bring.

Plot-wise, I think it may have been a disadvantage to have not read the book. The film begins at the time when the battleship went missing, before skipping forward to Eva Rojas and her epidemic. The problem was, I didn't understand the significance of the battleship, or why the heck it was supposed to be in the middle of the desert. If it was explained, then I missed it. To be honest, I really couldn't give a thump anyway. The epidemic tale was a bit more interesting to begin with, although by the time it has combined with the battleship story, I was beginning to lose the thread again. Thousands of people were dying before my very eyes and...I just couldn't bring myself to care all that much.

There is a fair amount of action - in fact there is more action than anything else - and it was this that stopped me from switching the film off completely. There are a couple of stunning scenes where Al and Dirk escape from a lorry while still attached to part of it, then rescue an old plane and somehow make it take them across the desert. The way it is done, with great energy and comedy from Zahn, made great entertainment. Unfortunately, it was not enough to pull this film up by its bootstraps.

There is a rating of 12 on this film - I think because of the death that the epidemic brings, although it isn't all that graphic.

I suspect that this film is a bit of a boy's own adventure thing and that, as such, it was never going to be my cup of tea. Even so, I do enjoy the odd action film, but this one was just not good for me. I really didn't care much for any of the characters and was really beginning to lose the will to live towards the end of the film, which was way too long at over two hours. I've read some good reviews and appreciate that others had a different experience, but this one was not for me. Not recommended. I would rather stick red hot pins in my eyes than have to sit through this again. Except maybe for the odd shot of Steve Zahn.

The DVD, if you must buy it, is available from play.com for £5.

Classification: 12

Running time: 124 minutes

Summary: Dull dull dull