Sahara

An action/adventure film with cowboy heroics, far-fetched plot points and predictable conclusions has never been more thrilling. Sahara succeeds, thanks to the cast’s energy and sex appeal, and director Breck Eisner’s just-go-with-it-and-keep-rolling attitude. Matthew McConaughey stars as a buffed and bronzed surfer dude with brains who is determined to find a mysterious Civil War battleship in the African desert. Although nobody else believes this phantom ship exists, a faithful sidekick (Steve Zahn) goes along for the ride with his fashion faux pas and middle-aged frat-boy persona. Meanwhile, a doctor with the World Health Organization (Penélope Cruz) hunts for the source of toxic water that is killing innocent Africans. These two stories collide with a stretch of the imagination that includes an underground river in the Sahara, a solar energy plant and windsurfing on plane wreckage across the desert. This James Bond/Indiana Jones hybrid is based on a Clive Cussler novel and will keep you entertained throughout its 124-minute running time.