DVD Review: Sahara
by R.J. Carter
Published: September 3, 2005
Sahara
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I have not read the works of Clive Cussler, which is hard to believe given (a) how many bestsellers he's written and (b) how many books I read in a given week. You'd think his work and mine would have intersected by now. So I have no preconceptions upon which to compare Sahara, the movie based on one of his novels featuring perennial hero, Dirk Pitt.
Dirk Pitt is sort of an Indiana Jones with a good ol' boy attitude. In fact, the movie often drops a southern rock song into the soundtrack, reinforcing this image.
In Sahara, Pitt (played affably by Michael McConaughey, who also co-produced) finds evidence of a lost Confederate ironclad. And, yes, it's landed itself in the middle of the Sahara desert, through circumstances both incredible and yet believable. But before Pitt and his partner, Al (Steve Zahn) can find the lost submarine, they become sidetracked on a more important mission assisting Dr. Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz) locate and isolate the source of a strange plague that has been devastating the locals -- and threatens to infect the entire world's water supply if left unchecked. By fate (or writing) the source of the poison and the location of the lost sub are one and the same, although sharing no other relationship than proximity.
McConaughey plays a down-to-earth Dirk Pitt, and Steve Zahn is simply hilarious. Together, they made some enjoyable "buddy movie" scenes. However, the performance of Penelope Cruz left me nonplussed and unenthused. Scenes involving her seemed to drag on interminably, and the acting was even more wooden than William H. Macy's stoic Admiral Sandecker. When the action scenes occur, they're thrilling to behold, right down to the McGyveresque sand-surfing and climactic battle. However, most of the two hours of the film seem to drag; a ninety-minute version of the film may have better succeeded at capturing and keeping the attention of the viewer.
Special Features on this DVD start out interesting and then quickly degrade. One special featurette on the making of the movie is fine, but don't dress up the others as something different when they're still aspects of the same thing. It would have been interesting to at least have included Clive Cussler in the bonus footage getting his take -- for good or ill -- on the translation of his work.
Previews on this DVD include The Longest Yard, The Honeymooners, Airplane - "Don't Call Me Shirley" Edition, The John Wayne Collection, and No Direction Home: Bob Dylan.
Grade:
Show: B-
Bonus Features: C+
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Set Up:
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- English 5.1 Surround
- English 2.0 Surround
- French
- Commentary, Breck Eisner
- Commentary, Breck Eisner and Matthew McConaughey
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
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Commentary
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- With Director Breck Eisner
- With Breck Eisner and Matthew McConaughey
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"Across the Sands of Sahara"
(15:00)
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Eisner, McConaughey, and cast reflect on shooting on location in the Sahara desert, battling with sandstorms, incredibly hot temperatures, and attacking locusts. Also delves into McConaughey's desire to play Dirk Pitt, chasing down the role for years, and getting approval on casting the other characters.
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"Visualizing Sahara"
(20:05)
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Breck Eisner and Allen Cameron open this segment on storyboarding the scenes and computer animating sequences in pre-production. Discussion on selecting the best shooting aspect, costuming the extras, building the ironclad and generally getting the right look for Sahara.
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"Cast and Crew Wrap Film"
(9:43)
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This segment is mostly a collage of clips showing the preparation of the actors and crew. A lot of goofing off, and not much sequential coherence. It has the appearance of several home movies that were strung together. Not much of a bonus here.
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Deleted Scenes
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Fewer than a half-dozen clips that were cut from the film, few of which would have added to the story. The viewer has the option of viewing the clips with or without commentary by Eisner and McConaughey.
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CD Giveaway - Paper Bird, "Rooms"
Ends May 28, 2013
Drifting ever so slightly away from traditional folk music, this Colorado band delivers harmony and energy aplenty. |
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