At the end of the Civil War when Richmond, Virginia, is under attack the ironclad ship Texas is about to embark.  Before the ship is leaving, some Confederate soldiers are loading it with heavy metal boxes, which suggestively contain gold.  The opening with the Texas presents a special effect spectacle where thundering cannons spew out flaming balls at the evading Texas, which also continues throughout the film.  Stealthy the Texas attempts to run the Union blockade by slipping into the night like a submarine on stealth mode eluding the enemy’s grasp.  The Texas set up will lead the audience on a treasure hunt in modern times where the story’s hero with the absurdly over the top name, Dirk Pitt, ventures into the Western Africa.

The opening credits, which follow the Texas escape, provide a quick and intricate character development of Dirk (Matthew McConaughey) and his best friend, Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), through the mise-en-scene.  The mise-en-scene reveals that Dirk and Al have spent most of their existing lives together.  They have gone through childhood, Navy Seals training, and are currently working together for NUMA where they salvage shipwrecks.  The relationship between Dirk and Al is always tense; much like a relationship between a bickering married couple.  This of course adds a lot of heartwarming humor to the film.  Matthew McConaughey’s performance as Dirk is actually very good and fits the spirit of the film, as Steve Zahn contrasts McConaughey’s character very well.  Dirk is the hero who always sees the glass half full while his partner in crime is a clear opposite.

Dirk and Al are on an assignment in Western Africa for NUMA when Dirk discovers an important clue to the whereabouts of the Texas, which he has been seeking for a very long time.  This notion of the obsessive seeking for a treasure is not a new concept, as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and National Treasure (2004) depict the same obsessive search.  These two goofs, Dirk and Al, also stumble across Dr. Eva Rojas (Penélope Cruz) whom Dirk saves from a sure death.  Eva has discovered an epidemic outbreak of a deadly disease that seems to come from the same country where Dirk intends to seek for the Texas.  Together Dirk, Al, and Eva begin to travel upstream of a river with his boss Admiral Jim Sandecker’s (William H. Macy) speedboat to find the treasure and the disease.

The quest for the gold treasure and the lethal illness is not without trouble, as they will meet people on both quests willing to stop them at all costs.  Luckily, Sahara employs the Navy Seal mystique to a level of super heroic quality, which will miraculously deliver the heroes to their destination.  This is done with a large amount of humor and action, as the film tries very hard to continue in the traditional approach of how many adventure movies attempt to balance comedy with suspense.  The film will turn into a roller coaster that swiftly moves from scene to scene, but does so without risk and suspense.  In addition, the director Breck Eisner moves too swiftly from scene to scene, and in some instances leaves the audience behind in the previous scene without a coherent and visual bridge into the following scene. It makes some scenes feel awkward, which resembles a first draft of a turn paper.  Thus, when Eisner walks out on the tightrope that he only keeps it a couple of feet of the ground he makes the fall funny.

DIRECTED BY

COUNTRY

USA / Spain / Germany

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