The Insane Story Behind 2005's Sahara

[@Videomorgue]

You have criminally bad taste in movies. Easy channel block.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

Go watch Pedro Almodovar masterieces with your mom.

[@Videomorgue]

@@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat You two must be close. 😂

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

@@Videomorgue Almost as close as you and your mom when you watch Pedro Almodovar masterpieces together.

[@Videomorgue]

@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat No gag reflex, I see. You must make him very happy.

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

@@Videomorgue As a clam. Speaking of... how's your mom doing? You still holding hands or did you advances bases?

[@amomentarygenius]

This film is a guilty pleasure for me. McConaughey and Zahn have great chemistry, the soundtrack is fun, and it embodies the 80's and 90's adventure films.

[@reubenhustler]

I love this movie … the relationship between the main characters was so enjoyable to watch … it made me believe that they’d known each other since kindergarten

[@amomentarygenius]

@reubenhustler Exactly! When Pitt says: "we need to find bomb," and Giorodino responds with, "No. I'll find the bomb. You get the girl." I was sold on their friendship. No egos, just trust and faith in each other and focus on the mission.

[@whyjnot420]

I really enjoy this movie for much the same reasons you do. I also have a friend who loves the books and despises this movie (and I mean he royally hates this movie). Any time he would bring up the books around me I would use it as a chance to bring up this movie. It annoyed him so much to the point where he stopped talking about them around me.

[@amomentarygenius]

@whyjnot420 I've read all of the Pitt series, and I own the film versions of Raise the Titanic and Sahara, so I can understand where your friend is coming from. I also realize Cussler likes to take simple stories and weave them into a structurally complex book with American jingoism permeating throughout. All of that doesn't translate well to screen. In the film Raise the Titanic I remember the great miniatures. From the book, it's the striptease. Sahara, the film would have been less fun if the victims of the plague had acted like the Resident Evil monsters that were portrayed in the book.

[@Woody_Florida]

Yeah, great sound track!

[@BalrogUdun]

Sahara is a great action adventure movie. Didn’t know people hated it. It’s a great popcorn movie. Wish it would’ve gotten sequels but understand now why it didn’t.

[@Brody423]

Love this movie. The buddy banter between Zahn and McConaughey is hysterical. It’s not a “deep” movie, but it’s fun.

[@mattt525]

Hiiii! Howre ya!? 😂😂

[@zirconic9]

The best thing about this movie was that the lead characters seemed to be doing things because it was fun. They weren't just thrown into some situation, they were adventurers. That's rare in action movies where often the lead is just trying to survive a dangerous situation not of his own making.

[@mustang8206]

Adventure movies are underrated for sure

[@Gerilyn2003]

And the lead and the "sidekick" worked together wonderfully. You really believed they were long-time partners in adventure.

[@jordanford9320]

This movie is a perfect example of why I don't really care about critic and audience score because I loved every second of it and I don't care what anyone says. Art is subjective and yes things can be bad but we can still like them because we vibe with whatever that thing is

[@YeetMcmaet]

Same

[@frogalex8915]

The problem is people think everything needs to me a master piece to be good. This movie is funny and enjoyable. Does it have its flaws sure but everything in the world does and if all people wanna focus on is the flaws then thats why those people tend to have very miserable lives.

[@hillfortherstudios2757]

Agreed bud. I'm in the same boat (that we stole from our boss)

[@mattt525]

This movie is my actual favorite movie of all time. It is so much fun and Al is hilarious. Watch it almost every night to go yo sleep.

[@matthewpeterson3329]

Amen.

[@NathanS__]

I love Sahara not only for its fun adventure but because it's first 5 minutes is as close to a Ironclad version of Master and Commander as we're getting

[@hyperchord]

Ironclad?

[@NathanS__]

@@hyperchordremember in the beginning and climax how there was a ship clad in iron? That's called an ironclad battleship.

[@colormedubious4747]

@@hyperchord Civil war era naval vessels clad with iron.

[@spacequack5470]

@@hyperchord Takes all of 2 seconds to google

[@hyperchord]

@@spacequack5470 So you don't know either?

[@Mylifeintechnicolor]

Sahara tickles my Uncharted 1 feeling when I think about it

[@Peter55855]

A story about how much Cussler hated this movie: My dad got tickets to a meet and greet cocktail hour with Cussler. The tickets said specifically NOT to bring up the movie... But Cussler kept railing on it, unprompted. Couldn't be steered away from it once he got going. Made the whole event super awkward, apparently.

[@npickle54]

Cussler was a man child

[@ThePlayerOfGames]

​@@npickle54really‽ Surely there was no way to tell from his excellent writing… 😅

[@thechristiangamer9140]

Matthew McConaughey also promised the author that he would wear contacts to change his eye color to match the characters eyes in the book. I like this movie too. It's just a fun action adventure. It's nowhere near the league of Lord of the rings, but it's still fun.

[@isenhartproductions2677]

lol yeah he dyed his hair too

[@paulellis8434]

This movie got me into reading. I told my wife as we were leaving the theater that I needed to read the book because it left me with too unanswered questions. My wife, who is an avid reader was so taken back by my statement that we went directly to a book store to get a copy. The move was alright but the book was way better. Same thing about his " RASE THE TITANIC" book. can see why Cussler was upset. Since then I have read nearly all of his books and many others because this movie left so many holes in its story telling. Rest in peace Mr. Cussler.

[@andrewprichard4908]

I came across a copy of the book long after watching the movie but I was hooked right away. I have most of his books now and grab a Dirk Pitt novel off the shelf occasionally to read again. RIP Mr. Cussler

[@dirtdart81]

My dad had a lot of the Clive Cussler books and I read them growing up. Love them! The book version was definitely better, but I still very much enjoyed the movie.

[@7thsealord888]

They were budgeted for one movie. To fit in all the stuff about Abraham Lincoln, and the lost aviator, and the rest, probably would have made for at least a trilogy.

[@paulellis8434]

@@7thsealord888 I agree. In doing so it left the holes for my questions and I was introduced to a whole new world. Honestly I think his books could be made into a TV series. Each book could be a new season. Just need writers and directors that can stay true to the books.

[@zekewalker1350]

So you mean to tell me that the director of this movie is the teen who was so uninterested in Disney world that his dad added thrill rides to the park, and is probably the reason we have test track & expedition Everest? Iconic.

[@samhainnc9416]

We knew the Eisner's growing up. My grandmother worked for Michael's father and mother Lester/Margaret at their Vermont homes. I knew Michael's kids too as we were around the same age. They knew they were money and we were not and didn't hide it although as they got older learned daddy wasn't going to just give them everything. He maybe opened doors for Eric Anders and Breck but they had to work for it.

[@nerdjournal]

Clive Cussler writes some crazy books, but he really does live and breathe all things naval and historic. Honestly, I like this movie. I do wish it would have been more serious. I don't know how difficult Cussler is, but I know he's very passionate about the naval history. I think the movie could have served with a little less goofiness, but it's a pretty fun movie to watch. To me, it reminds me a LOT of a non horror mixture of The Mummy meets National Treasure.

[@zirconic9]

Cussler died in 2020.

[@mileslong3904]

Cussler is like Stephen King as in they write an interesting core story with unnecessary glut and nonsense to an offensive degree. Diarrhea of the fingertips.

[@_Braised]

Honestly I just wish the books had been more like this movie. Ever read the Sahara book? it's ten times more goofy than the movie is.

[@jpgr8937]

I'm glad you mentioned the soundtrack. I forgot how much I loved that scene where "Magic Carpet Ride" suddenly plays.

[@DrBugz-h1q]

The music selections were perfect. Zoom in to the jeep on the coast with the Dr. John bridge...

[@Dilemina]

Magic Carpet Ride instantly improves any situation

[@georgesgauthier]

Just one more fan of this truly underappreciated film. Thanks for giving us some back story on why it never got the love it deserved.

[@h0rr0rshow]

I could cry. Finally someone with the same appreciation for this movie and Steve Zahn 😅

[@bobafettjr85]

"How much money are we losing?" "Hell if I know, but we're making great schlock!"

[@leefennema]

I didn’t realize this movie flopped. I love it and watch it all the time. It’s truly a guilty pleasure

[@b.w.22]

Oh, I’ve loved this movie forever too. “Doing a Panama” has been part of my vocabulary ever since. I’d recommend the remake of Flight of the Phoenix with Dennis Quaid for a film with a similar vibe.

[@Sid-jx4gl]

Doing a Panama man me too

[@greatturning]

"I didn't know you were in Panama." "We weren't, we were in Nicaragua!" "Then why do you call it a Panama?" "BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WERE IN PANAMA!"

[@j.tshark3313]

As someone who has read MANY CC books? My question is where does CC get off calling other writers crap. He writes himself into every book in the series where he was the only writer on the book. HE has not now franchised off all his books(he was getting older) and in most only wrote a one page synopsis of what he wanted

[@johnnyguitar6639]

I agree with you.- He's no shake speare. But the problem with every author is that as soon as fellow author get a movie deal.Everyone changes their style to write like him/her In vain hope to get picked up by a studio

[@jimthar17]

You obviously don't read much Cussler. He's not in EVERY book. He's in SOME books yes, but not all of them. And you obviously miss the point of why he's even there in the first place. Your overt negativity betrays you.

[@Yipcanjo]

What kills me is how few people even remember that this movie exists. I feel like the advertising was minimal at best. Strangely enough, every time I tell someone to check it out, they end up loving it!

[@chrisbullard5901]

The “Rush Hour” buddy cop formula approach to this movie is why it’s so good! This movie elevates the material in the same way “Jaws” does: it keeps what’s great, discards any elements that take away from rooting for the protagonists, and focuses on enhancing the character actors rather than forcing the actors to fit into tightly defined characters who, honestly, most people get tired of reading after four or five books as they fall into the same old patterns.

[@MICKEY-q3z]

Great vid! A real shame this movie didn't find its audience - it is great fun. However I do feel compelled to point out a misrepresentation in your piece. I happened to work briefly with Breck Eisner (the director of Sahara) prior to him getting the movie. I can report with certainty that Breck REFUSED to trade on his dad's name, which he viewed as an impediment to his career more than a help. He turned down job offers on Disney projects, and worked his ass off to demonstrate his talent and commitment to his directing chops - which you can see in what he accomplished in Sahara (in spite of the horrible - even by Hollywood standards - backstage antics).

[@indytim]

I've watched Sahara several times and it never fails to entertain me. Steve Zahn makes the film for me. He is effortlessly entertaining here. The gag about losing his hat is a deft piece of comedic writing.

[@mattt525]

Him saying hi how're ya? Is chefs kiss perfect

[@jessemg95]

"Mindless action flick with a crazy plot" ...So a Clive Cussler story? I say this as a fan of the Isaac Bell series

[@nashhoover9813]

Love this film. “We borrowed it… from Kazim.” Is easily one of the greatest lines in cinema

[@thegamedudeguy]

I like this movie but what you just said is nonsense

[@nashhoover9813]

@@thegamedudeguy clearly you haven’t watched the film

[@Jaythesparrow]

Must be the only movie you have ever seen..

[@mattt525]

Such a great scene.

[@jpgr8937]

I adore this movie. Growing up without TV, I had DVDs of this and many other movies. There was a point in time I'd watch this every day. I think every part of it is great. All pleasure, no guilt. It's not trying to be anything else and that's the charm.

[@CaptainCataractss]

So true!

[@martindenham2207]

I've always enjoyed Sahara. I saw it at the cinema and have it on blu-ray. I watch it often. I also enjoy Clint Mansell's score. It's a fun adventure romp. It's a shame things went south as I would have enjoyed seeing the cast return for further adventures.

[@craiggorham3522]

I swear the score for the river boat chase is straight out of a Bond movie. Love it.

[@martindenham2207]

@@craiggorham3522 Interesting you say that because the score was orchestrated & conducted by Nicholas Dodd who also worked with David Arnold on his Bond scores in addition to Stargate, Independence Day & Godzilla to name a few. Either Nicholas Dodd is responsible for that sound, or they specifically wanted the David Arnold 'Bond' sound which Dodd was familiar with. Who knows...

[@Nordy941]

I just realized the reason I think I like this movie so much is the 3 main actors are some of my absolute favorites ever.

[@The22ndCenturyFza]

My sister and I had this movie on repeat when we were young❣️

[@mattt525]

No joke, this is my FAVORITE movie ever.... it is so much fun! "Hi, how are ya?" Al!?!?

[@chaoticiannunez2419]

Sahara was so fun. Saw it five times in the theater when it came out. Man, I wish it started a franchise.

[@Jason_Bryant]

I watched this movie in Spanish when I was learning Spanish. I thought it was really fun, like a big budget A-Team-type adventure. Then I tried watching it in English. It wasn't as good when I could understand that dialog.

[@ModusOperandom]

I absolutely love Sahara too, one of my favorite movies of the era. There’s no chance they actually spent the budget filming what is on the screen though…has to be a tremendous amount was raked off and stolen by people in a position to do so. You only get those huge crazy budgets with a ton of CGI special effects and Sahara has almost none.

[@patrickpachal6410]

A friend took me to see the movie and after we left she said “Doesn’t it make you want to play an RPG?” She was right. It did. It’s one of the many reasons I like the movie and it has a special place in my heart as well.

[@Powherkrangunch]

Way underrated movie. Thanks for giving it a good review. I will never forget seeing this in Theaters and coming out smiling while my mom gave me a weird look because she thought it was so bad, but for me it will always be a fantastic movie. Can you talk about Stealth in a later episode? it's another highly overlooked 2000s adventure film!

[@cycleinthesun]

Sahara and Fools Gold are a great couple of films along the same vein. Shame there wasn't more adventures of Dirk.

[@ZachBryant-g3n]

I watched this movie at least 50 times during my deployment because it was one of few that we had that actually played. Still watch it every once in awhile for the nostalgia. Always thought it was good.

[@sbi168]

I watched this the other day. It's fine. It's mindless fun, I don't know what else you'd want from it. I have no idea about the books (shocks me this gibberish plot comes from a book tho haha)

[@AussieAquatic]

I totally loved this movie!!.......and it's a tragedy for us that a series of sequels didn't follow. Fantastic review and stories of behind-the-scenes dramas. New sub, well deserved :)

[@jasonflay8818]

I love Sahara. Steve Zahn lives near me and I know a few people he knows. If I have a run in with him I will absolutely tell him I'm a fan. My dad and I bonded over Clive Cussler books. Pulpy adventure action, can't beat it, so this film has a soft spot in my heart.

[@phdtobe]

“Sahara” is BLAST! Love it!!!

[@wildcard711]

I interned for a bit at the post-production house that worked on this movie, they still have the poster in their lobby last I saw lol

[@VegimorphtheMovieBoy]

Great video! Love Sahara and it's one of those films I'll recommend and defend whenever possible. It's super fun and the Panama scene is an absolute classic.

[@tsiefhtes]

Wow I did not know Sahara was a prototype for everything that's wrong with Hollywood now. Way too many screenwriters leading to budget overruns, wasted time and lack of direction.

[@stevenclubb7718]

In a weird twist of fate, the guy who wrote a book about finding a Civil War Ironclad ship actually found a Civil War submarine... or the guys he hired to look for it did.

[@102ew]

This was one of 3 movies I had on my ipod nano. Must have watched it 30 times on that tiny screen. good memories.

[@redshadow310]

I think one of the funniest parts of the whole saga is that Dirk Pitt is a self insert character for Clive Cussler. I've heard he was very angry about McConaghey being cast because he wasn't good looking enough to play Pitt (AKA Cussler) lol.

[@Zypher2887]

Sahara hasn't been forgotten in my house my family and all my friends have seen it all at least once haha it's one of my go to favorites for when we have company

[@Venator237]

This was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I never knew it had an interesting production history, so thank you for making this video. Keep up the great work!

[@DinoDave150]

I remember seeing this with my family as a kid. My dad would buy whatever movie that looked interesting to him so the rest of the family could watch. I remember having a good time. The part that lives is my head rent free is Rainn Wilson saying, "I shot a guy with a flare gun." Don't know why. I also remember the main baddie getting blown up by a delayed cannon ball. 8:54 Also, Clive Cussler doesn't mince his words does he?

[@irons636]

The flare gun is still quarter by my friends we also go I lost my hat that was my favorite hat basically anything from that river scene was gold. No Panama.

[@mattt525]

The entire river scene is perfect! From no specka english to the hi howre ya? To Panama and the flare gun❤

[@Jimvanhise]

Cussler hated that the script eliminated his original ending in which the confederate ship found in the desert contained the remains of Abraham Lincoln, who had been secretly kidnapped during the Civil War and the American government replaced him with a body double, and that's who was assassinated. It was a 100 year old secret revealed at the end of the novel. The producers counter sued, claiming that Cussler and his publisher had exaggerated the international sales of the novels when selling the movie rights. The film is fun for what it is but it cost too much to make.

[@ihan_perus]

One of my favorite movies! I've watched it at least a half a dozen times and it never gets old. Steve Zahn is awesome as Al and even though I thought McConaughey was a wrong choice to play the part of Pitt, I was happy to see I was wrong. I didn't know it did so badly in the box office! Would've been great to see many more Dirk Pitt's adventures make it onto the big screen..

[@jasonb7451]

This has been my favorite movie for years, it’s cool and a little heartbreaking to know how conflict heavy the production of it was. Thank you for sharing!

[@Alex-cw3rz]

I cannot believe the marketing budget was 120 million, I never even heard of this movie's existence. Could have been another dodgy dealing that.

[@The_Mimewar]

I haven’t heard of it either, and I was in my 20s when this came out. Prime age for action movies and nothing

[@nerdjournal]

@@The_Mimewar Shoot. I remember when it came out, heck I bought it on DVD. I like Clive Cussler books to some extent. Mainly because he is actually into history and its preservation. He founded NUMA the National Underwater and Marine Agency that has accomplished some seriously cool things. To me, this movie is almost like The Mummy meets National Treasure. It's not near as bad of a movie as a lot of people made it out to be. It's not great, but it's a LOT of fun. I do think they went a bit too far with the wackiness, it would have served a bit more to be a bit more serious. It's worth watching, though. At least once.

[@Picasso_Picante92]

Studios have a unique form of accounting. They'll "spend" 120 million but a lot of that money goes right back to their subsidiaries.

[@TheChronozoan]

While I get what you're going for, "I didn't hear about it so something is off" is simply common ego and anecdote blending together.

[@mipmipmipmipmip-v5x]

​@@TheChronozoan no one heard of this movie. It doesn't even show up in the usual flop lists 😂 Those $120m were absolutely used for laundering 😂

[@lucasgehres]

I'm sorry but... Do you edit your videos yourself? How long it took for you to finish this 13 minutes video? The editing is so good it's hard to believe you did it within a week.

[@isenhartproductions2677]

Thank you! I usually spend 1 week on research/writing/recording and then 1 week on editing. Although I like to work on two projects at the same time so I don't get burnt out on one or the other.

[@jayward8237]

Absolutely loved this movie! Fabulous cast, great plot, & incredibly fun.

[@AlphaShark]

Dude, my girlfriend and I were just talking about this because I love the books (even though he hadn't written them in years) and she loves this movie. I KZbind this like a month ago and no one had done a video going into why it failed and I thought about doing it! But it's not really my style, thank you for creating. Fascinating stuff.

[@ThatSockmonkey]

I read many of them in my teens, but i had no idea about this movie until today!

[@maxdecphoenix]

Clive has sorta cut down on writing books since he died 4 years ago. His son, Dirk, has had 7 books as of today published from unfinished drafts.

[@ThatSockmonkey]

@@maxdecphoenix oh, that is a shame.

[@messybestie-d7i]

sahara was a better Uncharted movie than the actual Uncharted movie.

[@sethstaart250]

Still see it as the uncharted we never got

[@OmegaTou]

I always pictured Dirk Pitt as looking like Pierce Brosnan.

[@JohnnyWaveslayer]

This is one of my favorite films. I fell in love with it so long ago and then slowly found out about the controversy surrounding it. So sad. More people should watch it.

[@ericmilnesoto2727]

2:02 "Breck Eisner"... I recognize that last name. Isn't that the same last name of one of the CEOs of Disney? 2:14 "Michael Eisner" there it is

[@charylliss3741]

This is one of my favorite movies. I own it, I watch it over and over. Sad it is underappreciated.

[@FlippySuper]

With that amount of problems in production, you’d think they cut losses and just cancel the film

[@mikevill1004]

Try telling that to Disney and Snow White…

[@matthewheinecke2621]

90% of movies wouldn't get made if they took that approach.

[@blueskieswaiting]

case in point; Disney’s Snow white

[@Foxster_13]

I had no idea about all the drama behind the scenes of this film, I remember watching this as a kid, usually with my dad. Those were fun days. He's still alive, but I still miss that part of my life, and watching this video just brought me back to simpler times. I might have to see if I can find it somewhere and rewatch it. See if it's as good as I remember.

[@15halerobert]

This will always be my go to movie when nothing else is on. It is one of my favorites of all time

[@Midnightrider1177]

Hold on, people don’t like this movie?? It’s one I re-watch ALL THE TIME.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

I remember seeing trailers and TV spots for this back in 2005 (was in college then), but never got the chance to see it in theaters. But I never even knew that its production was THIS troubled!!!

[@MasterColeX2]

This movie is easily in my top 5 favorites! Love this movie! Wish an series could have developed with these actors

[@clind4099]

I would say Sahara is in my top 15 movies. Never really liked Mcconaughey but he is perfect in this movie. When I rewatch a movie it only takes a few minutes in until I know if I truly like it or not. I have watched this one 5-6 times and will watch it again. The music is one of the best parts. Everyone has their own opinion about a movie, and they very much have a right to that.

[@peterlinn7036]

Also love this movie. Heard the production story many times. There are some great pieces on it. Good job on the vid.

[@ghazogre8897]

This has my favorite line(s) from any movie. "I think a man only needs one thing in his life he just needs someone to love. If you can't give him that then give him something to hope for. If you can't give him that just give him something to do"

[@BeantownMrs]

Wowwww, this movie really put the hell in production hell. 😂😂

[@57Starboard]

Me and my brother watched this movie at least 20 times when we were kids. One of our favorites.

[@FluxDeimos]

As someone who loved this movie I had no idea it wasn't a success, or any of this other behind the scenes stuff. Very interesting

[@nancyharman4795]

I began reading Clive Cussler's novels when "Raise the Titanic" first came out in paperback -- I was sorely disappointed in the film version, and when I saw the stand-up ad in the theater corridor for "Sahara" years later, I cringed, wondering if they'd mangled another book. Decided to see it anyway, just for William H. Macy -- so GLAD I went! This has become one of my all-time action faves! Fabulous soundtrack, superb characterization! (I didn't really "see" Dirk Pitt until the boat chase scene, and then I was sold. He didn't look anything like Matthew McConaughey!) I hadn't read the novel for several years, and I'd forgotten one character in it, but the moment I saw Rainn Wilson, I nearly blurted, "It's Rudi!!!" Some college kids were leaving my showing, and one said, "I thought it would be something great, like 'National Treasure,'" (which I'd seen but didn't think it was all THAT), but there was a 40-something couple in that same audience -- half an hour later, I saw them at Books-a-Million buying EVERY Cussler title the store had in stock (hardback & paperback)! Personally, I think this film absolutely displays the spirit of the original novel, and it's sad that more people didn't choose to enjoy it on the big screen. It's FUN!!!

[@ferrismcfly16]

I love Steve Zahn so mucu

[@isenhartproductions2677]

unironically one of my favorite actors of all time. he gives 100 percent to a role no matter how big or small

[@ferrismcfly16]

@@isenhartproductions2677 totally agree

[@kevinandjenwv]

One of those movies I keep coming back to even though I’ve seen it a thousand times

[@razumijinatreides4691]

This was one of those movies that was always available on my local rental video store.

[@mutantsupremacies]

i genuinely love how you include letterboxd scores even though so many people use that platform to give jokes reviews (like myself).

[@jcwoodman5285]

I liked it also! All the crazy stuff told me more about the author than the movie makers... 2mil on a cut airplane crash?😂

[@F4ll0utBP]

I picked up Sahara on a whim for $5 at a Blockbuster DVD clearance. Since then, my wife and I have watched it almost every year! It's just always a fun watch, and I quote it every time I see a VW Touareg. After reading these comments, I'll have to look into reading the books!

[@canebro1]

What is crazy is that in 2005 this was an insanely expensive movie, while nowadays it wouldn't even crack the top ten.

[@easymentality]

I saw this in the theater on a whim. Never regretted it. Was such a fun time. And I still quote it regularly. "Hi. How are ya?"

[@c4manke]

I have heard people call Sahara a guilty pleasure, what's there to feel guilty about, its a fantastic buddy adventure movie. The wit of Steve Zahn's character absolutely had me rolling, love that character.

[@samebert4440]

I always thought it was a really fun movie!! Steve Zahn made the whole movie very fun I thought ...

[@JaronActual]

"Fun" is the perfect word for it. Yes, some "mindless action flicks" are all flash and no substance. This one has great energy between McConaughey and Zahn, good comedy, adventure, and a plot that actually makes sense and you can follow.

[@sblinder1978]

"I got strawberries on my inner thighs" Alright alright alright

[@erbylopez6003]

I still think it is an underrated movie.

[@EricHuberCreative]

I also loved this movie, cast, and was a fan of the Dirk Pitt novels which are, to me, the male version of romance novels. Ridiculous action, over the top characters, crazy complex interwoven storylines. Fantastic! I wish Cussler would let more movies or series be made and ‘let go’ of a perfect adaptation. Thanks for sharing!

[@remuslazar2033]

Wait, this was based of a book !?

[@blushslice]

It’s actually a book series 😮

[@IshCaudron]

Everything written by Clive cussler about Dirk Pitt an the NUMA was great, I recommend it.

[@chaoticiannunez2419]

Eh, I didn’t care Raise The Titanic.

[@Burhanontheranch]

Formulaic stuff that gets stale after a few novels

[@zirconic9]

Cussler was like many action thriller authors--great with a cool premise, not so great with execution or character or dialogue. But there was camaraderie with his characters. They worked together and supported each other. That helped.

[@bryangoodwin6579]

This film is a core memory of mine. I love it so much. I really loved McConaughey and every actor involved. Great cast!

[@bobbyludwick4911]

“Change our decision-making paradigms”! Awesome movie.

[@Dreadjaws]

I have never watched this film precisely because at the time it came out my image of Matthew McConaughey was that of a romcom actor and I bounced off hard of every movie he was in. By the time my perception of him as a skilled, much more ranged performer grew I had completely forgotten about this movie's existence. I should hunt it down and watch it.

[@davidbutler9080]

My dad was a huge Cussler fan and hated the movie because it deviated so much from the book. I didn't start reading Cussler until after I had gone through Clancy's books and needed a fix. I saw the movie prior to reading the book and am so glad I did. I understand all the movie criticisms - when compared to the book. I love both, and consider them independent from one another. I see it as Cussler wrote the "true story" and the movie is "base on a true story". I wish it had worked out because those books would make great movies.

[@drewirvin5620]

This is a major guilty pleasure for me too. Great soundtrack

[@bigginsd1]

I love that one shot that ended up on the cutting room floor cost $2 million, which is equivalent to the budget of an entire Australian feature film.

[@zarlus8]

Starts video with Speed Racer footage... Bold choice my dude. I see you also like to enjoy your movies dangerously.

[@EthanAldridge]

This, Warcraft, and Priest are my biggest guilty pleasure films.

[@louisduarte8763]

1:07 Holy shit, my dad has a bunch of those in the bookshelf at home! Those should be a cinematic gold mine!

[@jaconel6248]

Whenever screenwriter Joshua Oppenheimer is mentioned you show photos and video of Joshua Oppenheimer the documentary filmmaker. Not the same person.