Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Paramount Movie ••½ Picture/Sound •••• Extras ••

Indiana Jones meets James Bond by way of Gunga Din in this everything-but-the-kitchen-sink attempt at grand, high-spirited adventure. Few armchair-explorers will be disappointed by the relentless, intermittently imaginative action. But I can't help wishing that first-time director Breck Eisner (son of Disney mogul Michael Eisner) and star/executive producer Matthew McConaughey hadn't tried so hard. Shot mostly in Morocco, Sahara certainly never stops looking spectacular on disc, actually evoking far better movies like Lawrence of Arabia with one sharp, sparkling, sun-drenched scene after another. The soundtrack adds oomph by lingering on 1970s rock hits, but they seem a little out of place. Extras include two commentaries (one by the director, one by him and McConaughey), three self-congratulatory documentaries, and a few deleted scenes. [PG-13] English, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround; French, Dolby Surround; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.