Sahara

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2:23

Sahara

PG-13

Released Apr 8, 2005

2h 4m

Adventure

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

37%

Tomatometer

175 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Seasoned adventurer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) sets out for the African desert with his sarcastic companion (Steve Zahn) in search of a ship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across a beautiful scientist (Penélope Cruz) 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.

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Critics Consensus

A mindless adventure flick with a preposterous plot.

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Pity, because McConaughey is born to play Pitt. Whether his shirt is on or off (personally I prefer the later) the actor cuts a dashing figure.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 23, 2005

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Just don't go expecting complex moral and ethical quandaries and you'll likely never think of Ishtar even once.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 23, 2005

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Sean Collier

Box Office Prophets

It's not a terrible film. It's not particularly good, either, but it's certainly no disaster.

Rated: 5/10

Oct 20, 2021

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

A shame this slick vehicle often stalls in a traffic jam of action-adventure cliches and unnecessary mucking about.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 18, 2020

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Mattie Lucas

The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)

A breezy summer action thriller that knows just what it is and has a ball being just that.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 5, 2019

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mark g

I mean, entertaining enough, great locales. You see the big budget throughout film. Good enough acting. Some eyestrain material though.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/11/24

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Thorsten S

Absolutely enjoyed the movie - never really understood the bad reviews - it’s an adventure movie …great setting . Love the cast .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/19/24

Full Review

Ashley C

This movie is the BOMB! You know - because it BOMBED! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Anyway, the plot should've been an adventurer in West Africa looking for something REALLY valuable: You know - like a PLOT! Instead we get a preposterous storyline that expects the audience to suspend disbelief while accepting Hollywood's version of a "noble" group of "adventurers" who plunge headlong into mortal danger (a war zone, no less) so that they can trace the source of a plague. Never mind the fact that there is no plague. Never mind - also - the fact that the main reason for the film's existence is to see the main character follow the clues that lead to a fabulous cache of wealth and riches. A treasure that - by the way - we see at the end of the film is left (unsecured and unguarded, of course) in a dusty cave in the middle of the West African desert! "Oh, look! Here's a cave! Let's leave this fabulous treasure here (because of course it'll be totally fine) so that I can get some much needed downtime with the super hot scientist whose life I've spent half the film saving!" The only thing more ridiculous than the script of this movie is the fact that there's still people who wonder why a sequel was never made. Why did this review come with a 4.5 star rating? 2 words. Penelope Cruz. 'Nuff said.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/28/24

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Dan R

Action packed adventure movie with a star ensemble, although cheesy humour and generic story telling, I very much enjoyed the setting of this movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/08/24

Full Review

Christopher N

This movie is an awesome action packed adventure with an interesting and usual story-line. the only this I don't like is that it is a disproportionately underrated film. My vote is that it's two hours of entertaining and guaranteed family friendly fun. Highly recommend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/25/24

Full Review

Lanfranco C

An Ironclad in the middle of the desert? A lot of fantasy!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/07/24

Full Review

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Breck Eisner

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Dirk Pitt

Steve Zahn

Al Giordino

Penélope Cruz

Eva Rojas

Lambert Wilson

Yves Massarde

Glynn Turman

Dr. Frank Hopper

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Sahara: Official Clip - Stranded in the Desert

1:18

Sahara: Official Clip - Camels vs. Train

2:06

Sahara: Official Clip - Shipwreck vs. Helicopter

2:44

Sahara: Official Clip - Solar Tower Fight

2:47

Sahara: Official Clip - The Battle of Richmond

2:54

Sahara: Official Clip - Pulling a Panama

2:54

Sahara: Official Clip - Truck Bed Escape

1:35

Sahara: Official Clip - Village Gunfight

2:18

Sahara: Official Clip - Speedboat Shootout

2:58

Sahara: Official Clip - Car vs. Helicopter

3:00

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Sahara: Trailer 1

2:23

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Synopsis

Seasoned adventurer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) sets out for the African desert with his sarcastic companion (Steve Zahn) in search of a ship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across a beautiful scientist (Penélope Cruz) 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.

Director: Breck Eisner
Producer: Howard Baldwin, Stephanie Austin, Karen Elise Baldwin, Mace Neufeld
Screenwriter: Joshua Oppenheimer, Thomas Dean Donnelly, Douglas S. Cook, David Weisberg, Josh Friedman, David S. Ward, James V. Hart
Distributor: Summit Entertainment, Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Crusader Entertainment LLC, Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Action/Violence)
Genre: Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $68.6M
Runtime: 2h 4m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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