These days, no matter how good, some movies are not going to be that well received. In Sahara's case it might be the combination of putting Mad Matthew McConaughay as the lead in a big budget action role and of making it a CG-less, old fashioned action adventure. Sahara, adapted from the Clive Cussler novel featuring adventurer/research Dirk Pitt, is just that. But that's what makes it such a great movie.
McConaughay is teamed with Steve Zahn in an inspired teaming. It's this banter with each other and their colleagues which is the heart of the movie. There's an unspoke ease in their partnership as they plow headlong into unexpected situations, with cool heads and an almost telepathic understanding of each others way of thinking, unphased by danger. The actors and the characters seem to have fun with their way of life even if it is extremely dangerous, and it shines onscreen. A super-sexy Penelope Cruz, Rain Wilson, William H Macy and Delroy Lindo join in the fun (it has an ensemble feel rather than as a star vehicle for Mad Matt)while Lambert Wilson and Lennie James make adequete bad guys.
Breck Eisner directs with a steady hand, favoring a thriller-ish old fashioned approach rather than the avid-fart approach to most contemorary action films. The action sequences are old school stunts rather than CGI orgies and it pays off; The punch ups are refreshingly martial arts free, the river chase a class act and the climax suitably epic. The photography is lush (Lean and Spielberg influence me-thinks), the production design grounded and textured; the waste disposal factory is the nearest you'll get to a Bond-villain's lair outside of a Bond film.
Clint Mansell's score elevates the whole enterprise with it's Bond-like wailing brass and strong heroic theme; when most composers are trying to do the electro-Hans Zimmer thing, here comes a reinterpretation of an old style and it works a treat. There's some high energy retro rock thrown into the mix when things are getting too serious which helps lighten the mood.
The whole thing feel;s like a combination of Raiders and Bond. There's the fun, yet serious thrillerish tone. There's the modern treasure hunting aspect (but far more interesting than the National Treasure flicks), and the global threat represented by a topical eco-disaster caused by greedy corporations.
It was obvious from the film's ending scenes, and from the opening title billking Sahara as a "Clive Custler Dirk Pitt Adventure", that the studio wanted to make a franchise out of this. Unfortunately that won't happen. Real shame that.
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