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The ability to apply several different concepts into a film requires much skill, as Steven Spielberg does in his Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981), or as Sam Raimi does in his Spider-Man (2002). Adventure, suspense, comedy, and drama combined into a mix where one single person carries out breathtaking tasks with ease which is a difficult tightrope-balancing act for a director. The director must juggle several different cinematic elements precisely in order to please a tough audience. If the director slips, a long fall awaits the director ending with a rough landing. Sahara tries to deliver such an experience with heroic deeds that deliver action, drama, comedy, and suspense in order to entertain the audience. ***

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. ***

The quality of the image is next to flawless, as no digital distortions were detected. To further explain the high quality of the image, a statement must be made in regards to the colors, which are strong, vibrant, and clean. There is not one single aspect of the film where the colors feel faded, or tainted. This can all be experienced through the original aspect ratio 2.35:1, which expectedly is anamorphic. ***

The sound is just as impressive as the image. Some home theater owners would probably desire that this DVD had a DTS sound track, but this is not necessary as the Dolby Digital 5.1 is great. The sound effectively fills the viewing room with great action sound from cannons to boat engines, which feels real. All five speakers elevate the aural experience, as the subwoofer also delivers great thumbs to round off the complete audio. *** ---

In the first extra in the special features section of the DVD the audience can find, besides the commentary tracks, Across the Sands of Sahara. This is documentary that shows a little behind the scenes that is dominated by the cast and crews admiration for one another. A 20-minute feature on the technical aspect of how the visuals were created, which possibly is the best thing among the extras. It is actually very interesting to listen to the filmmakers talking about aspect ratio use and camera filters, especially if the viewer is interested in filmmaking. There is also the Cast and Crew Wrap Film that brings to mind the word filler. This is followed by four deleted scenes that can be enjoyed together with Breck Eisners’ and Matthew McConaughey’s comments. All of this is rounded off by couple of previews such as The Longest Yard (2005) and the Honeymooners (2005). *** ---