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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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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Rex Reed

Observer

Despite the vast beauty of location settings in Morocco and Spain, the vast lack of chemistry between the two stars is appalling.

Apr 14, 2005

Full Review

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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Hannah Y.

I think this movie is unexpectedly delightful and it’s plot is more than just “pew pew bad guys vs. good guys” it has a dynamic plot. I would recommend this to literally anyone.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/03/25

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Stephen C

Success in 2 hours and 4 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Action/Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $68,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Hey, you people from the past. You were out of your mind giving this movie 37-40%. I’d love to see how you feel about the movies now, in 2025. Lmao,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/25/25

Full Review

Daniel S

honestly, I came in with low expectations — turns out I wasn't being pessimistic enough. This movie is a mess. It's painfully predictable, except for a few moments that catch you off guard only because they make absolutely no sense. The plot is filled with unanswered questions that the writers clearly just gave up on. For most of the movie, they want you to believe the ship is causing some deadly plague — calling it the “Ship of Death” — and then suddenly (spoiler!) it’s just a toxic waste plant. What?! How does a massive ironclad warship end up in Africa? Why is it there? They ask these questions throughout the movie and never give a single coherent answer. It’s infuriating. And don’t even get me started on the characters. The whole setup is a recycled formula: the “cool” hero, his comic relief sidekick, and of course, the attractive love interest. That’s it. Zero originality. Honestly, I’m shocked that any A-list actor even signed up for this disaster — the script is absolute garbage. I left the theater feeling frustrated, not entertained. What a waste of potential.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/25

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Alan M

A simple movie to follow with a lot of action and non stop humour. Lots of unbelievable coincidences but heck totally enjoyable for the whole family.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/25

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Nathaniel T

“Preposterous” and “mindless” it may be, but it’s also a load of fun and a great comfort watch. One of those movies I think of every now and again and love to throw on, and it never fails to entertain as long as you don’t take the film any more seriously than it takes itself.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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: 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: Paramount Pictures, Crusader Entertainment LLC
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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