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Sahara

Sahara

Action · Adventure · Comedy · 2005

Seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter Dirk Pitt, a former Navy SEAL, sets out for the African desert with his wisecracking buddy Al in search of a confederate ironclad battleship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across Dr. Eva Rojas, a beautiful scientist who is juggling an escape from a warlord and a mission to stop the spread of a powerful plague, their desert expedition begins to heat up.

Movie details

Sahara

“Adventure has a new destination.”

2005 Action · Adventure · Comedy 2h 4m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

Seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter Dirk Pitt, a former Navy SEAL, sets out for the African desert with his wisecracking buddy Al in search of a confederate ironclad battleship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across Dr. Eva Rojas, a beautiful scientist who is juggling an escape from a warlord and a mission to stop the spread of a powerful plague, their desert expedition begins to heat up.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Sahara?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Breck Eisner

Written by

John C. Richards · Thomas Dean Donnelly · James V. Hart · Joshua Oppenheimer

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey

Dirk Pitt

Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz

Dr. Eva Rojas

Steve Zahn

Steve Zahn

Al Giordino

Lennie James

Lennie James

General Zateb Kazim

Lambert Wilson

Lambert Wilson

Yves Massarde

William H. Macy

William H. Macy

Admiral Jim Sandecker

Rainn Wilson

Rainn Wilson

Rudi Gunn

Court is in session

Put Sahara on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.