Movie Review: Sahara

Take two all-American boys and one Spanish vixen and send 'em into the North African desert on a wild treasure hunt. Sounds like a straightforward action rip-off, packed with tons of bad guys, big guns and a cheesy romance or two.

Oddly enough, Matthew McConaughey + Penelope Cruz + desert treasure hunt = something a bit more complex. There are actually three or four subplots, decent acting, snappy one-liners and semi-unpredictable plot twists, which make Sahara more interesting than you might think.

Joined by the fearless Dr. Eva Rojas (Cruz), sexy deep sea diver/explorer Dirk Pitt (McConaughey) and his wisecracking best buddy (Al Giordino, played by Steve Zahn) go on a grand adventure across North Africa to find an 1886 Civil War ship full of gold. The ship is allegedly stranded somewhere under sand that was once the Niger River, and Rojas believes it's causing water contamination in the local villages. The catch: The water is really being poisoned by toxins from a solar power plant controlled by McConaughey's benefactor and warlords. They figure out the trio knows their secret and attempt to hunt them down and blow up the evidence before they are exposed. Wait ... warlords? Solar power plants? Confused yet?

Yes, Sahara rips off Indiana Jones' moves and MacGyver's skills (McConaughey and Zahn build a sailboard from an old wrecked plane -- what?), but it's OK because the characters are out disengaging bombs, running from African warlords, making deals with sketchy African underground armies and getting into other weird scenarios. It's like the directors got together and said "OK, let's do something crazy -- we'll make this action flick look serious and complicated, but really be about two buddies who become accidental heroes by showing off and being funny."

While the boat chases and car vs. helicopter shootouts are pretty cool, they won't give you a heart attack because, at the peak of action, you're laughing out loud at the smart aleck remarks among the trio. Zahn's character is especially cute and corky with his cliched lines such as "Ah! My hat! DAMMIT! That was my favorite one!" He then he uses a cigar to blow up the boat to escape armed assassins. McConaughey flashes his winning smile, and Sweet Home Alabama plays in the background as they sail off down river into the sunset. Keep in mind, this is a McConaughey action film, so of course he can easily knock out someone twice his size and fire a 120-year-old cannon to kill the head warlord. No problem. He's expected to be the amazing leader of this loopy adventure.

One comforting thing is, thankfully, unlike "Indiana Jones", the lousy, inevitable romance between McConaughey and Cruz is based on one continually saving the other from being attacked. Not the dramatic breathing, the pull-in-close "almost" kisses and other really obvious romantic cliches usually forced into action film plots.

The acting in this movie was consistent. No one had an outstanding performance, but each brought something to the table.

It's interesting to watch McConaughey play this suave, risk-taking guy running around in the desert, because he's been known for the suave, white-collar guy running around after women. He's smart, adventurous and slick, but unlike some of his other movies, such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sahara shows McConaughey throwing knives and shooting .30-caliber rifles instead of dancing in the moonlight. His sultry voice and ripped body still make him the apple of any girl's eye, but in this film, he's obsessed with treasure and loses the sappy romantic side to be one of the good ol' boys.

Cruz, on the other hand, plays her usual gorgeous hell-cat character, only this time, she isn't portrayed as a mere sex object. Instead she's a strong heroine, digging in the dirt, hurling dynamite and fighting the plague. It's refreshing to see her character's enthusiasm thrown into saving struggling African villages, and not into sleeping with the lead male role.

Excusing the stereotype, Sahara definitely a guy's flick. Two buddies drinking tequila, tracking down priceless treasure, cruising with one of the world's hottest women and killing bad guys means more action, no romance. Girls -- you can go to see McConaughey with his shirt unbuttoned if nothing else appeals to you. Sahara is good fun in the sand and gun smoke.

It will satisfy your craving for action.

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