How sad is this?

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

i saw this film many years back & i can say it without a doubt that this is not only the most underrated film but quite the best film ever released by paramount pictures,usually paramount studio release garbage films but if they do release some good ones they get edited just like MI2 of john woo now i don't care whats been edited in this film i have no complains because it was entertaining.this film has some similarities with the mummy series with all the desert scenes & fights scenes etc i loved the boat chase.i will not spoil the story see it yourself & decide but i can tell its about a treasure hunt but unlike most films this was done better the director did a great job i wish there was a sequel to this.the cast includes my favorite actress Penelope Cruz she was a treat to watch secondly this is the movie that introduced me to Matthew McConaughey he is such a fun guy to watch he should be the next James Bond i like him.i don't know why some people hate this film it provides good entertainment with a mix of comedy,romance & action all in one,got a nice cast,characters & story what more anyone want plus it is fast paced so no chance of getting bored.overall Sahara 2005 is a solid release from paramount pictures so go grab a DVD its a one time great watch my rating is 7/10.Recommended

The opening Civil War battle scene alone is worth the price of admission. Then you sprinkle the movie with the irrepressible Matthew McConaughey, the smoldering and incredibly sexy Penélope Cruz, and the always entertaining Steve Zahn and you've the makings of something that could turn out quite well. Add an exciting and fun screenplay and you've got yourself a winner. I enjoyed this film immensely and have over the years put the CD (now Blu-ray disc) into the ole player sat back and had a bit of relaxed fun and even after the first and second watch excitement as well. This film is highly underrated and I hope with CD and Blu-ray sales it made some money because it simply deserved it. I wonder why the production budget was so high and am quite interested in trying to glean that bit of a puzzle out when the time presents itself. I loved the film and I think you might as well! I just performed some cursory research on why it cost over 200 million to produce and distribute Sahara. Here are just two I found and for the most part are just a cut and paste:1) About 1,000 cast and crew members worked on "Sahara." The highest- paid was McConaughey, who received an $8-million fee, or $615,385 for each week of filming, not including bonuses and other compensation. Lovely Penelope Cruz earned $1.6 million (deserved every penny of it). Whereas Rainn Wilson, who since has raised his profile through roles in "Six Feet Under" and "The Office," was paid $45,000 for 10 weeks of work.2) Ten screenwriters were paid almost $4 million in fees and bonuses — highlighting the increasingly common practice of hiring and firing numerous writers on big-budget features.Clearly these two items were not the cause for 160 million in production costs (and we're not even counting distribution costs, about another 90 million) so what did happen? It's almost like the organized crime produced this movie! I refuse to give a 10 to a movie that produced a huge loss for no apparent reason!

First of all, let me say that I have never even heard of the book that 'Sahara' is based on. I have no idea how accurate the film is, or whether the actors portraying the characters are doing a good job. In fact, I've never even heard of the author of these - apparently famous - books (sometimes, I wonder whether I've actually read anything other than 'Mr Man' books).However, apparently I'm in a minority, because whatever books Sahara is based on are actually pretty famous. And that's where the problem lies. According to (almost) everyone who has read the book and then went on to see the film, the film bears no resemblance to the source material and it a total poke-in-the-eye of the book that so many love.Hence Sahara got one hell of a rough ride when it was released. The producers made no secret about the fact that they were hoping for a success to then go and green-light the many sequels. But that's never going to happen now.But, as I've already said, I haven't read the books, so I'm basing my judgement on the film through and through. And I rather liked it. Yes, it's not that complex. Goodies and baddies are easily defined and the hero saved the planet, gets the girl and finds some treasure for good measure. But it's a family film, so why shouldn't good come through in the end? Many people draw comparisons with the Indiana Jones movies. No, Sahara will never be as good as an 'Indy' outing, but it's in the same mould of rip-roaring adventures (think more 'The Mummy' but with no supernatural element).If you want deep narrative structure and excellent character developments then look elsewhere. However, if you want a fun popcorn movie to watch with the kids on a Saturday afternoon, then give Dirk Pitt a go (and never open one of the books it's based on... ever).

I am well aware of how difficult it is to convert a book into a movie script. I can understand editing some details that do not require explanation save in book format. Sahara however could have been so much better and deserved a better treatment. I would not expect a true to the letter transfer of book to movie format but come on! The actors and producers of this shoddy muck stained pile of rotten pig guts are total flops, if only because they made no effort to do the book or its characters or plot justice.The producer of this tripe obviously bowed to ignorance and arrogance and demonstrated a lack of appreciation for the characters or the plot from the book.Matthew McConaughey has no talent in acting, demonstrating only that he often comes off as an overly eager jack terrier at the sight of a dogbone. His enthusiasm was overkill and destroyed any dignity of the character he was portraying. I wanted to and still want to slap the snot out of him. Any director and producer with half a brain could have given the book proper justice. This movie did nothing more than demonstrate a complete lack of connectivity to the book series and no respect for the author.Watch this movie with extreme caution.