Sahara (2005)

[Scott]

SAHARA (2005) - This was a ridiculous film. None of it made any sense in the believe ability department. A lost Civil War Iron Clad ship found in the middle of the Sahara Desert (Africa) containing an enourmous amount of gold coin. In the middle of this story is a giant chemical waste plant that could contaminate the worlds waters which is already effecting the regional people where you find WHO (world health orginazation) trying to figure out whats going on. The action was actually very good especially the boats on the river scene. The desert locations were nice. The sidekick was marginally funny with his "how are you?" lines. Still don't know what connects this chemical thing and the lost gold, but I guess we aren't suppose to think about it. It's not a NATIONAL TREASURE nor RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.  Don't bother with this one unless you catch it on cable for free. I have no idea why they made this movie.





Post Edited (09-28-05 15:36)

[Dunners]

Couldn't say this film interested me as it had Penelope Cruz and the male lead , While I dont like mathew McConahay or however you spell his name I absolutely cant stand Penelope Cruz.  Definitley a "No, I think I'll pass" from me.

[Ash]

I thought it was ok....not great, but it didn't totally suck.

I did like the southern rock soundtrack.
I didn't like that James Bond sounding music was used the rest of the time.

[dean]

I enjoyed a bit of it: the chemistry between the two male leads was pretty good to watch, but I have to say I hate this film on a few counts:

I am a big fan of the book and they totally cut out some of the better aspects of the book and put in that stupid gold storyline.

In the book, the ironclad has nothing to do with anything really: they happen to stumble on it in the desert after being told about it by an old man [whose character is meant to be the original author, Clive Cussler]  The funny thing is that in the book it turns out Lincoln wasn't assassinated but kidnapped and taken aboard an Ironclad which escapes to Africa.  So there's this whole subplot of Lincoln being alive.

Also, there is no last stand at the ironclad, but at the fort nearby the power plant, with a team of UN armed forces and escaped slaves from a nearby mine [in which all the characters get sent to at one stage.]
 
Well, in fact alot of the story got changed around.  I'm assuming this was because of the fact that this was an independent released movie and they didn't have the budget for some of that stuff.  But still, because Cussler didn't like it, and had such a hard time being convinced that they should make the movie, he pretty much won't allow any more book adaptations of his really fun adventure novels.

I'd read the book, not see the movie, it's much more fun, and is one of my favourites.

[Scott]

The film isn't a total loss, but I found that you could probably jump into this film at any point of the story and it wouldn't matter.

Thanks dean for the info on the author. See his books around, but don't usually read novels.

[dean]

Yeah, the film isn't a total loss, and viewed on its own it probably isn't that bad, but coming from reading the book, I just really hated the missing plot points.  But it does have it's good parts in the film, like the boat ride up the Nile.  

Cussler's books are a fun read for me: kinda reminds me of a cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond, since there's usually treasure involved somehow, with an evil scheme from evil geniuses who are usually mega-rich business people wanting to screw somebody over.  Though generally all the plots are essentially the same in basic structure.  Nothing deep or philosophical here, just fun.

What I find most interesting about this movie is the fact that it was independently funded [ie not through a studio] and I have a certain respect for films that don't go through the studio system.

Though the marketing for the film focussed on Penelope and Matthew's relationship, which we heard pretty much nothing about after the film is released.  I hate fake things like that [which I suspect it was, though don't know for sure]

[Ash]

I have only one Cussler book and it's in hardcover....
"Atlantis Found"



I started it like two years ago and read the first few chapters.  Then I put it down and haven't touched it since.
But what I read of it was really good!
I still have it in my bookcase....think I'm gonna have to finish it.



Post Edited (09-29-05 04:51)

[Ash]

Check out Clive Cussler's site:
NUMA.NET



Apparently, it's actually the real thing.
It's pretty interesting!
And he has the coolest collection of old cars I've ever seen!

Any thoughts?



Post Edited (09-29-05 05:02)

[dean]

He's a crazy old bastard, I'll give him that.  NUMA does indeed exist, but its a fair way from the NUMA of his novels which enjoys multi-billion dollar budgets and a hi-tech computer system with AI [which dissappointingly wasn't in Sahara the film]

Oh, and he does have a damn fine collection of cars.

[Neville]

Saw this one on the theatres. Not a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon, but it is a mediocre film, lots of things moving, lots of suposely fast dialogue, but no substance at all. McConaghey was alright if not spectacular, and Cruz looked sexy, which is the main reason of her being there. I could have done without some of the silly one-liners and the atrocious song selection, though.

Over the last years, I've read several of Cussler's novels, and altohugh he is not by any means my favourite writer, his Dirk Pitt's novels have become one of my guilty pleasures. They are often jingoistic, but Cussler's steady prose gets the job done, and the plots involving super-villais and ship rescues are very exciting. "Sahara" is probably my favourite, and I agree they should have been more faithful to the original, at least in the tone, which is quite more serious.

[Shadowphile]

So this is the guy behind the travesty known as 'Raise the Titanic'.  

The movie  which wasn't all that much like the book either but since neither of them was any hell, does it really matter?