Sahara

Name: Sahara
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Released: April 8, 2005
Duration: 124 min
Rating: 41
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Penélope Cruz, Steve Zahn

2005

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 165 Ratings

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7.7

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7.7	Your Score
7.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 165 Ratings

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Sahara

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: April 8, 2005 | PG-13

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Penélope Cruz, Steve Zahn

Summary: Clive Cussler's master explorer Dirk Pitt (McConaughey) takes on the adventure of his life when he embarks on a treasure hint through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa. Searching for what the locals call "The Ship of Death," a long lost Civil War battleship which protects a secret cargo, Pitt and his wisecracking sidekickClive Cussler's master explorer Dirk Pitt (McConaughey) takes on the adventure of his life when he embarks on a treasure hint through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa. Searching for what the locals call "The Ship of Death," a long lost Civil War battleship which protects a secret cargo, Pitt and his wisecracking sidekick (Zahn) use their wits and clever heroics to help Doctor Eva Rojas (Cruz) when they realize the shop may be linked to mysterious deaths in the same area. (Paramount Pictures)… Expand

Director: Breck Eisner

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 124 min

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Critic Reviews

William Arnold

The casting is so strong and the overall filmmaking flair of the movie is so captivating that it basically works. Read full review

Empire Dan Jolin

About as good as a big, stupid American action movie can be without ever being anything better than a big, stupid American action movie. Read full review

Liam Lacey

Most of the personality work in the film is left to Steve Zahn. Read full review

J.R. Jones

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the historical premise for this Indiana Jones knockoff. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Takes the action/adventure story to new heights of preposterousness. In a way, that's not a bad thing, since it allows a certain level of guilty enjoyment. Read full review

Chuck Wilson

This perfectly distracting, ultimately unsatisfying film feels like a James Bond flick in which the stand-in got the lead. Read full review

Dallas Observer Robert Wilonsky

A stunning piece of work--stunningly inept, stunningly incoherent, stunningly awful in every single way imaginable. Read full review

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User Reviews

D.A.

Jan 31, 2009

When "It's a Wonderful Life" came out, it was considered a grand flop, as well! It took 30+ years - by sheer fluke of luck - for that beautiful film to be recognized as the incredible gem we all now know and love... and I do LOVE this movie!! Sahara has great humor and chemistry and it When "It's a Wonderful Life" came out, it was considered a grand flop, as well! It took 30+ years - by sheer fluke of luck - for that beautiful film to be recognized as the incredible gem we all now know and love... and I do LOVE this movie!! Sahara has great humor and chemistry and it just works. Still, timing is everything, and it simply wasn't this movie's time, unfortunately, because I would have loved to have seen McConaughey, Zahn, Macy, and Rainn Wilson work together again on this fantastic franchise.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

Aragond

Apr 29, 2011

I *will not* see this film trashed! This was a ripper of an adventure that should have been much more successful than it was. Indiana Jones with a wry smile. James Bond with tongue very firmly-in-cheek. Dashing and goofy rolled into one. Perhaps audiences didn't quite know what to do withI *will not* see this film trashed! This was a ripper of an adventure that should have been much more successful than it was. Indiana Jones with a wry smile. James Bond with tongue very firmly-in-cheek. Dashing and goofy rolled into one. Perhaps audiences didn't quite know what to do with this film?? It just hit the balance perfectly, imho, between being a couple of adventurers who happen upon a dastardly plot and a pinch of a slightly daffy comedy. This was undeniably a cut-above most films of its ilk -- and how few there are. I consider it a real tragedy that it wasn't more successful and that Sahara 2 will never be made.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

Autopsy904

Jun 13, 2021

°》°》°》°》°》°》°》⊙》°》°》⊙》⊙》°》°》°》°》°》°》°》°》°》
@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@:@::@:@:@;@;@@;;@@;@;@;@;@;@;@;@;@;@;@!

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

tethysdust

Oct 10, 2016

Sahara is an adventure comedy film, one with a ridiculous premise and an enthusiastic cast. Not exactly intellectual, but fun and undemanding entertainment for a pleasant evening.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

The3AcademySins

Apr 8, 2019

Big, dumb, Hollywood action fun. A nonsensical plot combined with fun action and an invigorating locale creates Sahara. It's a movie about a lot of things, and it's sometimes hard to keep track of them all. This is a very fun guilty pleasure movie.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Tyranian

Nov 10, 2019

Fairly entertaining and Matthew is good but the plot becomes very holey. Visuals are solid.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Spankaccount

Aug 31, 2005

Hollyweird schlock at it's worst, but held together with decent visuals. Not worth a rent. That said, my 13 year old loved it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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90	#90 Most Discussed Movie of 2005
57	#57 Most Shared Movie of 2005