Sahara

Sahara is an adaptation of the book of the same name by adventure writer Clive Cussler. It follows treasure hunter and adventurer Dirk Pitt (McConaughey) as he travels through Africa in search of an American Civil War ship reputed to be filled with gold. Along the way he encounters African warlords, desert tribes and a mysterious disease sweeping the continent. All the while helped by his partner-in-adventure Al Giordino (Zahn), and World Heath Organisation official Eva Rojas (Cruz).

Almost everything you could say about Sahara is contained in the words Action Adventure. The heroes rush from situation to situation, each more elaborate than the last, coming up against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but always find themselves with a plan and a snappy one-liner. In this respect, the film works well, the action moves swiftly between locations and McConaughy and Zahn bounce off each other really well throughout. The situations are varied enough to keep the audience entertained, while the African setting means that there are lots of opportunities for shots of towering sand dunes and wide deserts, which makes for an interesting backdrop to the story.

McConaughey plays Dirk Pitt ably, never seeming to be out of control of events, while Zahn is increasingly funny throughout as the witty sidekick, although the relationship between the two is a lot more even than in other 'buddy' pairings. The action takes precedence throughout the film, but the dialogue manages to explain the twisting plot and provides a background for a surprising number of main characters.

Overall, Sahara gives you exactly what you would expect and provides two hours of exciting, quick-witted, fast-paced, cinematic adventure story that you can sit back and enjoy to the full.

Patrick Telford