Hatrack River Forum: Sahara

This is topic Sahara in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Rabid Newz (Member # 7704) on :

I haven't read this book, but I'm not sure it will be very good. It looks like it would be ok, but more than everything it looks like all special effects. Too much special effects ruin the flick. I'll see it regardless, but I wanted other opinions.

I hope I don't seem to gruff. I figured it would be better just to jump in rather than explaining myself. Some other people hadn't gotten very good welcomes....or so it had seemed.....I lurked(I think that is what its been called) a bit before I actually registered.

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

Hi Rabid Newz! I have no opinion on your subject, but welcome to Hatrack!

Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :

I haven't read this book either, the only Clive Cussler I've read is Pacific Vortex! . I loved it. I'll go to see the movie purely because I loved the only book by him I've read and my Dad says the book was good. I'm hoping the movie will be good also. The idea seems good enough. And it doesn't really look like there'll be very much CGI/special effects anyway.

Edit: ElJay, I've noticed you're always the first person to welcome someone new. Do you sit at your computer waiting for someone new so you can be nice? [Dont Know]

[ April 04, 2005, 05:49 PM: Message edited by: SteveRogers ]

Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :

never read the book...but I have read some of his other books and enjoyed them...but since Hollywood is great at messing up books (ie: Bourne Identity) that doesn't mean the movie will be great.

However, Penélope Cruz is gorgeous...so that gives the movie bonus points.

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Welcome to to forum Rabid Newz! If we get to know would you prefer us to call you Foamy or Frothy?

Posted by Rabid Newz (Member # 7704) on :

I......interesting.....I'd probably prefer Foamy.....

Posted by Morbo (Member # 5309) on :

Welcome [Wave]

How about Foxy? Covers both of the words in your nick. [Razz]

Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :

Why don't I have a nickname? [Cry]

Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :

I'm going to see this movie tomorrow with one of my friends. Despite the horrible review Entertainment Weekly gave it I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I don't always agree with Entertainment Weekly's reviews. They gave Pirates of the Carribean a C- and they gave Shadow of the Giant a C+. They disappoint me sometimes with their reviews.

Posted by Stan the man (Member # 6249) on :

quote:
Do you sit at your computer waiting for someone new so you can be nice?

Nah, she's just baiting the newbie. Waiting for when the time is right and ..... SNAP! [Razz]

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

It was an okay movie. I saw it one and a half times.

The first time the film cut out a half hour into the movie and they were like "Sorry, we're canceling the show, come back tomorrow!" And this was at like one in the morning.

But I went with my dad and brother to finish it the next day. It was good, I love movies that tie history in. The best way to describe it is to call it a new age Indiana Jones, but it does the genre a lot of credit, a sweet soundtrack too.

Good mix of action, comedy, what not. All around good film.

Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :

This book sucked. It was terrible. Clive Cussler is a formula hack. One or two good books. Clones after that.

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

Oh, well yeah. They are fun, brainless, and formulaic.

Having said that, I LOVED Sahara the book. Pure brain candy, like a half hour of Friends. At least it was clean.

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

quote:
quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you sit at your computer waiting for someone new so you can be nice?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nah, she's just baiting the newbie. Waiting for when the time is right and ..... SNAP!

*sigh* What did I do to deserve this?

[Wink]

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I tried reading Raise the Titanic and fell asleep. It was a good cure for insomnia.

Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :

I thought the movie was okay. I liked the soundtrack. I was singing when they played Magic Carpet Ride and Sweet Home Alabama . I couldn't help myself.

Posted by DavidR (Member # 7473) on :

quote:
I tried reading Raise the Titanic and fell asleep. It was a good cure for insomnia.

I am having the opposite problem. I currently seem to have a case of insomnia. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that I recently finished "Shadow of the Giant" and I am currently reading "The Worthing Saga".

I have to say though that I have generally enjoyed Clive Cussler's books including "Sahara". I am worried about how well it was adapted to the Silver Screen as I haven't seen it yet.

Posted by IanO (Member # 186) on :

I don't generally mind stuff *simply* because it's somewhat formulaic. I like John Sanford too- Lucas Davenport is edgy in all the cliched ways. But I love the chase. And Clancy, also formula.

But Cussler always has the same plot. Some historical event occurs that is unexpected (White Mayans, an ironclad in Africa, a third nuclear bomb headed for Japan that never went off, a ship assumed to have sunk, atlantis). Later, that occurence is somehow tied to some plot that, invariable, brings requires the National Underwater Marine Agency (like some kind of fungus threatening the world's oceans, in Sahara, I think- it's been 10 years since I read it) to get involved. And so Dirk Pitt (and is that not stupidest name? It SOUNDS so cliche- the rugged, handsome, devil-may-care adventurer) must save the world- again and again. Cause all plans threatening the world require the involvement of the oceans and the NASA of the water.

Ahh, if you like them, that's good. They just got old, after awhile. Seemed like Cussler was trying TOO hard to make Dirk Pitt an American James Bond.

[ April 11, 2005, 07:13 PM: Message edited by: IanO ]

Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :

I never read the book, but I did see the movie without even hearing of it because friends were going. It was predictable and the acting was only average. The dialogue sucked and the effects weren't that cool. But it had Penelope Cruz, which makes it my favorite movie of the year. Well, not really, but close.

Posted by The Chris (Member # 7779) on :

Well, I was one of about 75 people to see this movie 3 days before it came out. YEAH!!!

Um...ok back to the subject...This was a great movie, but not that great. I'd give it an 8/10.

Matthew McConaughey never shows much emotion at all in this movie [Frown]

which makes him seem a bit like the 80's actors.(Arnold, van-Damme...etc.)

Steve Zahn...well, everything he says in the movie is a one-liner, period. Lots of them are funny, but others seem like he's just trying a little too hard...

Penelope Cruz did a good job playing the damsel-in-distress-but-I-can-still-kick-your-butt role.

Despite all of these negatives, the movie comes together quite nicely. It has a lot of action, lots of different settings, and an intriguing storyline about Dirk (Matthew McConaughey) searching for a phantom ship from the Civil War.

It's a solid movie. I recommend it.

[ April 11, 2005, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: The Chris ]

Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :

I enjoyed the movie. Many gratutitous shots of an oiled and tanned Matthew M.. Enjoyable plot with fun action. Two mindless thumbs up.

Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :

quote:
the rugged, handsome, devil-may-care adventurer

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Added: On a more serious note, I will cut Clive Cussler miles of slack because he manages to write an entertaining, tense novel without swearing every other paragraph. His books are clean. I LOVE that.

[ April 12, 2005, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: katharina ]

Posted by unicornwhisperer (Member # 294) on :

So is this movie worth spending the admission price to go see?

Posted by Coccinelle (Member # 5832) on :

I have no regrets [Smile]

Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :

Hey, I like Clive Cussler's books. They aren't great literature, but they are fun examples of what they are: action-adventure. And he gets major points from me for setting the climactic chase scene of one of his early Dirk Pitt novels in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.

However, I'm kind of leery of films made from his books. The whole time I was reading "Raise the Titanic" (long ago, when it first came out) I kept thinking, this is going to make a great movie. And then they made a movie of it, and it was one of the worst, most horribly miscast movies it has ever been my misfortune to see. Which brings me to my hesitation about going to see "Sahara" - I just cannot see Matthew McC. and Steve Zahn in the roles they play. Just, no.