Dayna Cussler, Delroy Lindo, Glynn Turman

Master explorer Dirk Pitt takes on the adventure of his life when he embarks on a treasure hunt through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa. Searching for what locals call the "Ship of D...( read more  read more... )eath," a long lost Civil War battleship that protects a secret cargo, Pitt and his wisecracking sidekick use their wits and clever heroics to help Doctor Eva Rojas when they realize the ship may be linked to mysterious deaths in the very same area.

Flixster Users

61% liked it

193,867 ratings

Critics

38% liked it

168 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 7 min.

Directed by: Breck Eisner

Release Date: April 8, 2005

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DVD Release Date: August 30, 2005

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Stats: 6,450 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (6,450)


  • September 23, 2009
    It?s all good fun but it ain?t no Indiana Jones!
  • June 20, 2009
    Was as good as I expected it to be, which was not very...cheesiness abounds, and Matthew McConnaughey young Ron Jeremy look is kind of creepy...
  • November 23, 2008
    "Dirk Pitt. Adventure has a new name."

    Matthew McConaughey stars as explorer and adventurer Dirk Pitt in this adaptation of the best-selling novel by Clive Cussler. Pitt thinks he may have found both a fortune and the answer to a long-standing mystery when he discovers a ...( read more)rare coin in the waters of a river in West Africa. During the Civil War, an ironclad battleship with a valuable cargo went missing, and Pitt's theory is that the coin places the ship somewhere in the Sahara Desert. Pitt and his goofy sidekick, Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), set out to find it, but along the way they make the acquaintance of Dr. Eva Rojas (Penélope Cruz), a scientist and physician who is trying to determine the source of a strange and deadly disease sweeping the nation. As Eva joins Dirk and Al, they begin to wonder if the mysteries they're trying to uncover might be somehow linked.

    Review
    Basically this is a weaker Indiana Jones movie, with the hero getting out of narrow escapes and searching for treasure while trying to fight evil. The big difference here is that Dirk Pitt is a former Navy Seal, not a scholar like Indy.

    It's a rather formulaic action/thriller with very little in the way of surprises. If you think that 'x' will happen, it does. The only thing that surprised me was how good Matthew McConaughey was as an action star, alhtough he is a little too tanned. While he's no Schwarzenegger or even Harrison Ford, he pulled off the role of Dirk Pitt very well. Steve Zahn also provides excellent comic relief.

    I don't know if its worthy enough to spawn sequels (although it is a little bit late for that now), but it could be a big hit if they still wanna push through with it, which is obviously what Paramount thought when it bought the rights to Clive Cussler's book (who wrote tons of sequels). Still, its not a bad movie and may be worth your while.
  • October 1, 2008
    "No Panama!" LOL

    Although the movie version of Clive Cussler's novel is very different, I think following the book would have been a mistake. Although it varied a lot, this was a great twist and I REALLY, REALLY love this movie.

    Steve Zhan and Matthew McConaughey keep m...( read more)e laughing even after watching this a dozen times. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!

    What I think I love even more than this movie is that seeing this sparked my interest in Clive Cussler, and I am addicted to his books now.
  • June 27, 2008
    The very definition of enjoyable romp. McConaughey is perfect in looks and charisma as the strong hero type, and Zahn plays off him wonderfully as the comedy sidekick. The interesting thing here is that they are not an odd couple. They are in fact very similar, which only makes s...( read more)ense although some may find Zahns character lacking a point. There doesn't seem to be much for him to do that McConaughey couldn't do himself. There's a real feel for camaraderie not only with these two but with Macy as well. Again he is not the typical angry boss, he supports his guys even if he is a bit upset with some of their methods. It should also be noted how these are not your typical treasure hunting heroes. In any other film they would refuse to help Cruz's Dr, preferring to go after the gold. Here however they are more than willing to help. Perhaps they are just too damn good. The action scenes are wonderful, and the film has no problem in jumping huge gaps of time or logic if it serves the story. There are some truly memorable laugh out loud lines amongst the expertly paced witty banter. It's certainly an afternoon film which reduces the need to think.
  • November 4, 2009
    I actually liked this movie, the whole Civil War ship takes off to Africa thing was intriguing. Everything unbelievable though but it's a movie it's just supposed to be fun. It did seem to take a long time to end
  • November 3, 2009
    El tipico imitador de Indiana Jones... sin exito.. jaja
  • October 31, 2009
    !Comercial or Stupid! :|
  • October 31, 2009
    Is the average "adventure wannabe" movie, which lacks one little, tiny thing...the salt and pepper of a true action flick
  • October 28, 2009
    very good movie to watch.

Critic Reviews


February 7, 2006
Kurt Loder, MTV

Sahara rather resembles National Treasure, another film with a strained story line and deadening lack of visual richness. full review

April 8, 2005
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

This one has everything: stereotyped characters, shaky camera work, absurdly inappropriate pop songs on the soundtrack, a confused tone, misplaced zaniness and a nonsensical story. full review

April 8, 2005
Kyle Smith, New York Post

The one-liners, mostly bland, are used so liberally that they water down the action. full review

April 8, 2005
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

It's about good ol' boys on a rip-snorting adventure, and to that end, it succeeds. full review

April 8, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I enjoyed this movie on its own dumb level, which must mean (I am forced to conclude) in my own dumb way. full review

April 7, 2005
Claudia Puig, USA Today

A testosterone-drenched escapade that misses because it lacks the tension to make it a thrill ride. full review

April 7, 2005
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

As dry and lifeless as its sun-burnt locale. full review

April 7, 2005
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

There's no disguising the fact that Sahara has all the heft of marshmallow. full review

View more Sahara reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • crosscountrychick882
    April 17, 2007
    I love this movie! It has such a great atmosphere to it. The cast is great and so is the music. It is action-packed and comical. All-around great movie!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Sahara Trivia


  • This actor was almost lost in 10 days, he explored the Sahara, and he had a Failure to Launch? Who's the southern stud I'm talking about?  Answer »
  • Which actor or actress can be attributed to the following titles? Failure to Launch Dazed and Confused How to Lose a Guy in 10 days The Wedding Planner We are Marshall Reign of Fire Sahara  Answer »
  • Im in all these movies: Failure to Launch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days The Wedding Planner Sahara  Answer »
  • The underrated actor Steve Zahn appears in what three movies...  Answer »

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