Sunday, June 05, 2005
Movie - Sahara - Fun!
Just got back from watching Sahara. In three words, it's goofy, gorgeous, and fun! Would have been a notch more fun if they had shortened down the fight scenes and substituted for more interesting action (I closed my eyes several times, just waiting for the punching crap to move onto another bit of interesting story).
But Sahara is one big eye-candy, all the places are made to look very pretty or exotic, it's absurdly 007, with a tad of Indiana Jones, but, in one way, entirely better than these two because... Cruz' role is an active, intelligent, good woman, and not some bimbo or moronic victim waiting to be rescued by Mr. The-Only-One-With-Brains-Strong-Hero, or some parasitical viper out to get him.
It was really surprising and wonderful to see this aspect of the script.
And that reminded me of the question that came up awhile ago in a thread - what has the women's movement achieved that remained today?
Well, this is one and it is highly significant and important.
And Matthew McConaughey will never look better in his life. Tan, with gorgeous upper arm muscles, which they make sure he shows off constantly ;-), and lots of shots to make his green/blue eyes sparkle...
An inspiration to diet, that's what I told myself. You see, guys like McConaughey only go out with women with Cruz' weight, so diet! All of which lasted about 2 hours after I got home, because I was dying for a late night snack. Which turned into two a couple hours after the first one. So much for McConaughey... he has been disregarded for a cheese sandwich.
;-)
rottentomatoes, as usual, has lots of delightful reviews of the movie, such as:
How seriously can you take a movie in which Penelope Cruz, wearing a bucket of eye make-up, plays a World Health Organization physician who investigates plagues?"
-- Boo Allen, DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE (TX)
In one spit-take-inducing moment, our heroes convert a wrecked prop plane into a desert sailboat, which they race across the sand to the strains of 'Magic Carpet Ride.'"
-- John Beifuss, COMMERCIAL APPEAL (MEMPHIS, TN)
"Whatever it lacks in substance it makes up for in gloss, humor and thrills, and a good time should be had by all."
-- Paul Clinton (CNN), CNN
"A big, goofy, entirely disposable, tons-o-fun Hollywood Action Flick."
-- Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Small spoiler below - it's about a detail, but you may not want to read it if you haven't seen the movie:
And when the duo discovered the desert plant and they sneak in and gaze ultra wide-eyed at the inside of the huge installation, what do you hear?? There is this slick, smooth voice of a woman speaking over the plant's loudspeaker, and it's not meant to be funny, but I just couldn't stop laughing because it was so 007... it was exactly the same type of voice you hear in every 007 movie every time he sneaks in the bad guy's secret lab to destroy the world... there 's always this woman with an ultra pretty, but very serious voice, saying something about security or some procedure... as if that happens in real life!! You walk into a plant and there's this professional female narrator talking over the loudspeakers every 5 seconds.
.
But Sahara is one big eye-candy, all the places are made to look very pretty or exotic, it's absurdly 007, with a tad of Indiana Jones, but, in one way, entirely better than these two because... Cruz' role is an active, intelligent, good woman, and not some bimbo or moronic victim waiting to be rescued by Mr. The-Only-One-With-Brains-Strong-Hero, or some parasitical viper out to get him.
It was really surprising and wonderful to see this aspect of the script.
And that reminded me of the question that came up awhile ago in a thread - what has the women's movement achieved that remained today?
Well, this is one and it is highly significant and important.
And Matthew McConaughey will never look better in his life. Tan, with gorgeous upper arm muscles, which they make sure he shows off constantly ;-), and lots of shots to make his green/blue eyes sparkle...
An inspiration to diet, that's what I told myself. You see, guys like McConaughey only go out with women with Cruz' weight, so diet! All of which lasted about 2 hours after I got home, because I was dying for a late night snack. Which turned into two a couple hours after the first one. So much for McConaughey... he has been disregarded for a cheese sandwich.
;-)
rottentomatoes, as usual, has lots of delightful reviews of the movie, such as:
How seriously can you take a movie in which Penelope Cruz, wearing a bucket of eye make-up, plays a World Health Organization physician who investigates plagues?"
-- Boo Allen, DENTON RECORD CHRONICLE (TX)
In one spit-take-inducing moment, our heroes convert a wrecked prop plane into a desert sailboat, which they race across the sand to the strains of 'Magic Carpet Ride.'"
-- John Beifuss, COMMERCIAL APPEAL (MEMPHIS, TN)
"Whatever it lacks in substance it makes up for in gloss, humor and thrills, and a good time should be had by all."
-- Paul Clinton (CNN), CNN
"A big, goofy, entirely disposable, tons-o-fun Hollywood Action Flick."
-- Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Small spoiler below - it's about a detail, but you may not want to read it if you haven't seen the movie:
And when the duo discovered the desert plant and they sneak in and gaze ultra wide-eyed at the inside of the huge installation, what do you hear?? There is this slick, smooth voice of a woman speaking over the plant's loudspeaker, and it's not meant to be funny, but I just couldn't stop laughing because it was so 007... it was exactly the same type of voice you hear in every 007 movie every time he sneaks in the bad guy's secret lab to destroy the world... there 's always this woman with an ultra pretty, but very serious voice, saying something about security or some procedure... as if that happens in real life!! You walk into a plant and there's this professional female narrator talking over the loudspeakers every 5 seconds.
.
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