Eye Candy #279 - "Sahara"

Sahara: Once you get past the conceit of Steve Zahn portraying ex-Navy SEAL Al Giardino, this movie is a lot of fun. Matthew McConaughey is Dirk Pitt, who is searching for a lost Confederate ironclad full of gold that disappeared in the waning days of the Civil War and made it's way to Africa (though why an ironclad from the South would seek refuge in Africa remains largely unexplained). He and his sidekick Al assist a WHO doctor (played by Penelope Cruz) who is trying to find the source of a toxic algae bloom that is poisoning people through well and river water, which also happens to dovetail nicely into their hunt for the ironclad in the dusty wilds of Mali. And all while fighting a murderous dictator. Sure, suspension of disbelief is high on this one, but it's funnier than it has any right to be, the stars have good chemistry, some of the dialogue is fantastic, and it's very entertaining. What more can you want? And this movie runs circles around the similarly themed "National Treasure" movies, which unfortunately did better box office business. Wish we could get more Dirk Pitt movies. Woodchuck sez, "Check it out."