Stuff by Steve

For swashbuckling treasure hunter movie buffs, it’s been a while since the last Indiana Jones. Disney offered up a pretty good one last year in National Treasure; Sahara is similar, but with some notable differences. Here, instead of an implausible plot carried out by an ordinary guy just trying to do the right thing, we have a plausible plot carried out in an implausible manner by a James Bond-esque semi-superhero. Matthew McConaughey plays well a hunky southern gentleman named Dirk Pitt with a knack for getting into and out of trouble. It’s exciting to watch him scheme his way from one near-death adventure to the next. This is also where the movie falls flat, however. We quickly become accustomed to Dirk squeaking by with narry a scratch, and the tension in the film suffers as a result. Also, the female lead, played by Penelope “how does she get parts in movies” Cruz, seems there only to provide the moral background for Dirk’s do-gooding. McConaughey had way more chemistry with Steve Zahn as the comic-sidekick (that guy cracks me up). Still, the movie has tons of charm, and although its representation of Africa makes you feel like having a shower afterwards, it is an entertaining romp from beginning to end.