Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) is an adventure seeking, treasure hunter of the sea. When he’s not on official assignment for Admiral James Sandecker (William H. Macy), who heads NUMA¾ the National Underwater and Marine Agency, he follows leads to the whereabouts of a missing battleship, lost during the Civil War in 1865, in a fierce battle off the coast of Richmond, Virginia. The "Texas" was the last Ironclad ship of the Confederacy and finding such a gem would bring untold riches and top drawer bragging rights.

Dirk is in Lagos, Nigeria with his sidekick and life-long buddy Al (Steve Zahn), on a specially outfitted (and expensive) NUMA yacht, where the two rogue divers continue to add constant frustration to Sandecker’s life.

Also in Lagos is Dr. Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz), a physician with the World Health Organization (WHO), determined to get to the source of a deadly plague that has broken out. The clues lead to Mali, a nearby African country. The problem is that Mali is in the midst of a brutal civil war (reminiscent of "Hotel Rwanda"). Going there would be at great personal risk. Being dedicated, Dr. Rojas convinces Frank (Glynn Turman), her colleague and an executive for WHO, to go there with her. Before they can leave, she is almost killed by a shadowy assailant, only to be saved by Dirk. Dirk and Al form a team to travel into the interior of Mali: she to find the source of the disease, Dirk and Al to find the "Texas".

Based upon a series of 18 novels by Clive Cussler, the time to suspend belief and check your mind at the ticket counter when you enter the theater is right about here, as the first frames of "Sahara" hit the big screen. Clues develop that indicate the "Texas," due to changes in the global climate, crossed the Atlantic and navigated in flooded rivers to a part of the Sahara, which now only has sand dunes and a few small rivers. Could the "Texas" have sailed from Virginia to Africa?

Ruling Mali is despot dictator General Kazim (Lennie James) and the ruthless businessman Massarde (Lambert Wilson of "The Matrix Revolutions"). They are outstanding villains and even frightening characters because they go beyond caricature to a sense of reality.

Dirk makes progress toward finding his bounty by fighting Kazim and his soldiers along the way. Dr. Rojas finds the source of the disease and it’s something other than what she was expecting. If it’s not shut down, the entire world is at risk (no surprise) because the link between underground rivers in Africa could poison the Atlantic first and then the entire world’s water supply.

Think of the buddy relationship of the "Lethal Weapon" (Mel Gibson and Danny Glover) movies and Harrison Ford in the "Indiana Jones" classics and you get the flavor of "Sahara." If you are an action fan of Matthew McConaughey in his "Reign of Fire" or "U-571" films, you will come into the movie with the proper expectation level. Of course, with the casting of Steve Zahn ("Daddy Day Care" and "Saving Silverman"), we know for sure that this will be a fun and zany movie.

The action is over-the-top, the escapes are improbable¾ no change that to impossible, but the special effects look like the real thing, and there’s lots of humor and plenty of bad guys. Spectacular scenery and good acting resulted in us enjoying a film that we thought would be a brainless action of the week movie. Though the filmmaker’s tongue is stuck firmly in his cheek, this thinking man’s film is a great blend of action, humor, and brotherhood. Why else would a Confederate Ship sail to a black African nation in search of a safe destination?