Raiders of the lost plot

An amiable, if rather ridiculous caper, this old-fashioned desert adventure is merely sufficient. It has predecessors - think National Treasure or Raiders of the Lost Ark - which were far better examples of the sand-in-your-popcorn movie.

The raider here is Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey), an explorer who thinks he's a latterday incarnation of Errol Flynn. He is in search of the last American Ironclad battleship which has somehow landed up in West Africa.

His quest is complicated by the discovery of a gold coin from the Civil War period in Lagos, where a mysterious plague is laying waste to the population, and a powerful warlord intent on creating havoc.

Sahara is based on a pulp novel by Clive Cussler and also stars Steve Zahn as our hero's chipper and cheerful accomplice, and Penelope Cruz as a World Health Organisation doctor.

She has insisted on coming along for the ride but has nothing coherent to do except ride a camel, look pretty and occasionally comfort the sick.

Mali and Nigeria look better than the screenplay sounds, so, if nothing else, you can admire the scenery. And, actually, there isn't much else.

Sahara
Cert: 12A