Sahara (1983) User Reviews

Romantic and dreamy

[dapplegrey13 · 6/10 · 16 April 2007]

Okay, so it's no Academy Award winner. The writing is poor, some of the movie is just plain silly, but there is a lot to enjoy.

I love the chemistry between the Brooke & Lambert Wilson... the seductive and emotional nature of their scenes together. Lambert Wilson takes my breath away! He did in 1983 when I first saw the film (okay, I'll admit -- a few times). I just finally found a copy recently and watched it again for the first time in 23 years or so, and he STILL takes my breath away! Brooke is beautiful and he is terribly handsome -- his face, his eyes, his voice -- he looks at her as if he's going to drink her. It's incredible. Mesmerizing. In my book, this is one of the sexiest movies ever (and without actually having any sex in it).

I looked up Lambert Wilson on IMDb and realized I didn't recognize him 20 years later in "Matrix Reloaded" or the newer "Sahara" (but it had been a long time -- the french accent and clean-shaven face threw me off). It looks like he's been working steadily in France all along, thank goodness. I'm thrilled to know he's been a success. I hope he'll do more American films. Oh, and the score was haunting. It added a lot to the film.

And one more thing: Brooke was practically a child when she did this film. I thought her acting was fine, especially considering her age and the poor script with which she had to work.

Surprisingly not as bad as the critics tolds us back in the 80's

[miguelangel-23 · 5/10 · 25 December 2011]

Today I watched this movie for the very first time. Back in the 80's this movie never made it to my home town, I guess because of the poor critics, and that was a shame because i really wanted to watch it, I had such a big crush on Brooke Shields during the early 80's. I knew that the movie was probably just a lame excuse to expose her sex appeal and popularity, and there were probably little to none substance in the movie it self. After reading the reviews I thought that this was probably a horrible fiasco of a movie I still wanted to watch it, but like i said I was never able until today. What a surprise... the movie is indeed not a big deal at all, but by far boring, it was rather entertaining, I mean not every piece of cinema has to be a master piece, but as long it is entertaining it will be alright, and this one it is alright. The rating is 4 out of 10, my self out of watching it and enjoying it and being able to watch again young Brooke in her prime it was worth it. I would give it a 5 out of 10.

Cheesy, but I couldn't turn the channel

[total_eclipse · 6/10 · 22 May 2010]

Well, I caught this one on TV on a Saturday afternoon. I could've easily changed the channel but I'll tell you what kept me watching... the romance of the movie. There wasn't really anything else to "Sahara". The scenes of the desert people weren't very believable and neither was the race and it's outcome (which doesn't make sense but then again I've only seen it once). The most gripping elements of the movie were the romantic interludes between Dale and the Sheik, the rescue, and the final stretch of the race. The background music for the protagonist and her man was a little overplayed but still memorable. The fact that this was not a typical romance plot made this movie worth seeing.

Hey! I liked this movie!

[daisyduke8000 · 26 June 2003]

It's a shame that everybody knocks this movie, because it really is good. Sure, it is cheesy in parts, but hey it's a 1983 Brooke Shields movie, what do you expect? The best way to describe this movie is probably that it is very much like a Harlequin romance in many ways. Brooke Shields gives a very good performance, as does movie veteran Sir John Mills. It seems with this movie you either like it or you don't. Personally, I liked it and do recommend it. So go ahead, get some junk food, and a friend who likes romance flicks, and watch it on a rainy day.

Sahara

[BandSAboutMovies · 2/10 · 9 March 2022]

What gets this movie made?

Could it be that British Prime Minister's son Mark Thatcher got lost in North Africa during an auto rally? Maybe the idea that Brooke Shields could be the next Indiana Jones? Or did Menahem Golan love The Sheik so much that he's pay for this and Bolero?

That meany bringing in Brooke's manager mother Teri, who would say, "I don't want anyone looking at her like a woman yet. It's not time." She also asked for eight rewrites and two directors - John Guillermin was one - quit before the cameras rolled.

As for Menahem, he said, "Brooke is the most beautiful creature on earth She is the genie of the desert and Lambert (Wilson, who plays her love interest) is a wildman, but educated. He wants to rape her, but he controls himself. We are not afraid here of clichés. I want a beautiful romantic blockbuster where all American kids will identify."

Yes, American kids identify with sexual assault.

With costumes by Valentino and no expense spared, this didn't really it the screens. It just kind of made its way two months late - and only west of the Mississippi - after poor previews.

Gordon (Steve Forrest, Mommie Dearest) has created a new racing vehicle for the Trans-African Auto Race but dies before he can enter. His daughter Dale (Shields) disguises herself as a man - I mean, as much as she can - and enters the race as her father with the help of his friends.

So yes, to get Brooke Shields in a Cannon movie, one that she'd dress like a man and not be the sexy Brooke audiences wanted for the entire movie, cost Cannon $1.5 million just to get her in the film. Her mom got $250,000 to be an executive producer.

Menahem had written the original script and wanted to direct it, but Teri claimed that it had "too many rape scenes and too much gore." As it was, Menahem kept overruling director Andrew McLaglen and tried to direct the movie. This led to an accident where Golan pushed Brooke to drive a convertible faster and faster. The car flipped, launching him, her and a cameraman from the vehicle. No one was seriously hurt, but that's an example of how nuts this movie was to make.

But hey - it has a score by Morricone!

Like Sands through the hour glass of Brooke's girlish figure.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 11 August 2021]

A delightful bit of campy romantic adventure is one of the silliest films of the 1980's, up there with "Sheena" and "The Pirate Movie" and anything with Pia Zadora that you can't take your eyes off of it for a minute. It makes "Ishtar" seem like a masterpiece. At the center of it all is Brooke Shields, trying hard to emulate a brunette Carole Lombard but nowhere near as appealing. She's immature and obviously spoiled, and the fact that she has every man in the film pining for her is laughable. It's 1927 and the newly orphaned Shields puts on a mustache to disguise herself so she can participate in a pointless car race across the Sahara. The evil shiek John Rhys-Davies tries to rape her and she manages to escape, passing out in the heat and nearly covered by scorpions. Rhys-Davies' handsome nephew Lambert Wilson comes to her rescue, but he is nearly as bad as his uncle when it comes to controlling women. Of course she is easily seduced because he's every young ladies Arab fantasy.

This is a 10/10 as far as entertainment value and camp quotient is concerned as it is ridiculous to the extreme. Shields is like other great Hollywood beauties in the sense that she's a beautiful block of driftwood, unable to convince the audience on any strong emotional level. Contrast that to the legendary John Mills, playing an Arab of British birth who becomes her protector. But it's nothing more than a Penelope Pittstop/Dudley Doo Right cartoon with a bit of Scooby Doo mixed in. A frightening scene has two of her admires buried up to throat head covered by beatles and having scorpions waved in their face in an effort to make her submit to the piggish sexual desires of the disgusting Rhys-Davies.

The highlight of the film is the location photography and the costumes, very realistic in period detail. A beautiful musical theme aides in the cinematic power of the good points of the film which reminds me of those Maria Montez color adventures of the 1940's, even with a young Arab boy that could have easily played by Sabu, and Wilson in the type of role that Turhan Bey or Jon Hall would have played. The cliched one dimension of Rhys-Davies would have been perfect for Lon Chaney. So this is rather old fashioned even by 80's standards, although the disgusting elements of Rhys-Davies are far more graphic than what you could have done back in Hollywood's golden years. It's a film you won't soon forget, complete with large cats and plenty of cliff hanger moments that would have made for a great 40's serial.

Well.... there's lots of sand

[Tracy_Terry_Moore · 3/10 · 31 May 2009]

Brooke Shields is a spoiled little rich girl who decides she wants to enter a desert automobile race and since whatever Brookie wants, Brookie gets....

Streaking across the sand dunes in her favourite sand-colored scarf and cute little goggles with the wind blowing sand in her beautiful brown hair, Brooke gets kidnapped by a handsome sheik with a GQ beard who whisks her away to his pad and ties her up while Brooke pretends she doesn't like it.

Romantic Saharan adventure where the camels are more interesting than the actors.

Overall pretty bad, but not without any merits

[GSeditor · 6/10 · 3 August 2012]

OK, I am a big Brooke Shields fan (that's why I have bought a DVD of this movie), but, honestly, I can understand why she was nominated for a Razzie award for this one... But it's not only the unfortunate Brooke, (except for C. Lambert, who plays the Arabic sheik in love with Brooke's character) the acting is uniformly bad in this movie. The parts where there are attempts at "humour" are the worst parts. The parts where there are attempts at drama come a close second worst. Or maybe the parts where there are attempts at romance. Nevertheless, the movie picks up some strength towards the end. The tribal battle scene is very good and the scene where Brooke is placed in a pit with black panthers and leopards is marvelous. For a western-made movie set in the Orient, I also liked the idea that the male protagonist was a non-westerner: you don't have a heroic white guy saving the white damsel in distress. Brooke's character is not the typical weakling damsel in distress either, she is a strong character herself.

Rifles? Rifles? We don't need no stinkin' rifles.

[g_hawke · 3/10 · 30 December 2012]

This movie nestles nicely into the so-bad-its-great category of films. Its plot is 45% "The Sheik", 45% "The Great Race" and 10% "Indiana Jones". But while "The Sheik" was the product of a more naive time, "The Great Race" was a playful send-up of old movie clichés and "Indiana Jones" cheerfully celebrated those clichés, "Sahara" hasn't a brain in its head.

That's not to say the movie is not enjoyable. It's a strange, anachronistic throwback.

SPOILERS GALORE FROM HERE ON...

Brooke Shield plays Dale, who disguises herself as a man in order to replace her late father in an auto race across the Sahara. Seeing Miss Shields in full makeup and a mustache is truly a sight to behold. However, she doffs her disguise once her car enters the desert sands. This proves to be a fairly bad idea as she is snatched up by Saharan tribesmen. (Her roadies too but who cares about THEM)

John Rhys-Davies is the boorish Rasoul, who means to get romantic with Dale. What ensues is quite possibly the funniest scene in the movie. Fighting off Rasoul, Dale has to claw her way PAST a rack of rifles to get to a knife that she ineffectually slashes Rasoul with. Then, when the knife fails, she pushes past the rifles AGAIN to get a lamp with which to start a fire. Fleeing from the burning tent (sans rifle), she runs past unguarded horses and camels and ends up wandering through the desert sands on foot. Truly a genius, this one. The only way this scene could have been funnier would be to have her rush by a tank, a machine gun, a can of mace and a helicopter.

Now, obviously she doesn't get far and is recaptured. Rasoul is a bit peeved at her but his nephew, the tribal chief Jaffar (Lambert Wilson), is now interested in Dale. However, Jaffar has other problems. His enemy tribesman has been armed with a car/tank by some dastardly Germans.

Limping home in defeat, Jaffar pauses to claim Dale as his fiancée. Rasoul thinks she is a demon. It seems that blue eyed women are seen as bad omens and whatnot so Dale simply cannot be married to the tribe's leader.

Anyway, Jaffar has a romantic interlude with Dale at a Saharan waterfall (?) where Dale is finding the concept of enslavement to him enjoyable. So clearly, being kidnapped and enslaved is only bad if the man in question is unattractive. However, the romance is dampened a bit when Dale learns of the marriage thing since it means she can't finish the race.

The German/Villainous Tribesmen attack Jaffar's camp. Dale, fortunately, has carried a supply of dynamite with her for the auto race (as one does) and uses it to blow up the car/tank.

Later, Dale emerges in bridal dress. The marriage is on, apparently. However, it is all part of Dale's escape plan. Not that she doesn't find Jaffar hot, it's just that she has a race to win. She leaves her sleeping lover (who has left NO sentries even though his enemies had just attacked his camp) and drives off. She also abandons her hapless roadies, who had previously been tortured by Rasoul when Dale had refused Jaffar's advances. She does, however, take along Jaffar's English valet, Cambridge.

However, the strong and independent Dale is immediately snatched by the bad guy tribe. They place her in a large hamster cage (??) to await the leader.

Cambridge tells the good guys what has befallen. Jaffar intends to rescue Dale but Rasoul objects, pointing out that it is a suicide mission. Jaffar decks him and rides off. Cambridge prods Rasoul into joining the rescue mission.

Another day, another assault. Dale is fighting off the villainous chieftain when Jaffar and Co. attack. Dale gets thrown into a pit with a collection of panthers. It's OK, though because Jaffar is there with a rope. He throws it down but our action girl starts sniveling about how climbing the rope is just too haaaaaard. Dale sounds like she is wailing the lack of chocolate cake at a party rather than being in actual danger but Jaffar climbs down to save her.

Another bit of comedy ensues. Jaffar uses up his bullets shooting the pit door open and the rifle-armed villains are on the other side of door. All the villains have to do is open fire and this movie will be over. But nooooo. They have to run in and attempt hand-to-hand combat. Jaffar neatly defeats them and then throws a torch at the poor panthers, who really just want a good meal. Anyway, Rasoul uses his dying breath to tell Jaffar not to follow Dale. Jaffar tells Dale to go. Dale, assisted by her inexplicably loyal roadies, drives for the finish line. Jaffar, meanwhile, sets about revenging his sleazy uncle.

It's a race to the finish between Dale and those dastardly Germans. Three guesses as to who will win.

The German's wheels fall off two inches from the finish line and Dale is declared the winner. The roadies show up, only a few minutes behind in spite of being mounted on camels. I think I would declare the camels the winners.

Then Dale rides off to find Jaffar. Because running her father's auto business (which was his deathbed wish) clearly takes a backseat to marrying your kidnapper. Everyone knows THAT. And then there is nothing left to do except ride off into the sunset, which they do.

Okay, so what did I think of "Sahara"? Well, it was a dreadful movie but an extremely fun one. It deserves a more prominent place in your guilty pleasure collection. If only MST3K had a go at this one...

On a side note, Lambert Wilson would later take a part in a dreadful Clive Cussler adaptation. It's name? "Sahara".

This movie drew me in slowly but surely

[wong02 · 7/10 · 28 July 2010]

The TV was on while I was busy with a household chore, so I missed some of the beginning. Then the story started to catch my attention and boy am I glad to have discovered Lambert Wilson. Someone else already said it... his eyes, his lips, his sheik's stature. He was mesmerizing and had great chemistry with Brooke. Her acting was better than I've seen her in later films. She handled the character role rather well, except for the boy/moustache sequence. Definitely a cheesy movie, yet I couldn't stop watching. The fantasy story drew me in and swept me away... yes, kind of like a Harlequin romance. Did I mention that Lambert Wilson is breathtakingly handsome? As soon as the credits rolled and I caught his name, I ran to google the web. He's French?! Mais certainement!

It's not good, but it's watchable.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 5/10 · 8 November 2020]

Dale Gordon (Brooke Shields) is the falpper heiress to an American car company in the 1920s who upon her father's death takes it upon herself to enter an auto race across the Sahara dessert to prove the mettle of her father's car. Once there Dale and her two companions become embroiled in a tribal war between two factions and a sheik (Lambert Wilson) who becomes infatuated with her.

Sahara was one of a number of attempts by b-movie production company Golan-Globus to break out of their profitable but derided niche and break into the mainstream. Many of these films (Lifeforce, Superman IV, Over the Top) were big budget attempts to compete in the blockbuster field of the big 6 studios but all were failures (though Lifeforce has come to appreciate a cult following). Sahara was one of Golan-Globus' earliest attempts at trying a blockbuster and was inspired not only by popular adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark but also the 1921 silent drama The Sheik of which producer Menahem Golan was a fan. The movie tries to be part rousing adventure, part romance, and part comedy and it fails at all three.

Easilly the biggest drag on the film is Brooke Shields. Shields exploded onto the scene with the hits The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love, but Shields unfortunately is not a good actress. She cannot carry an adventure film because she can't bring the needed enthusiasm and investment needed to bring in the audience investment. But even if Shields were replaced with a more competent actress, they'd still be dragged down by a script that is equally parts messy, unfocused, and jarring. The movie is allegedly about a cross country road race, but the race is really only used as a book end since the majority of the movie involves a feud between two desert tribes that are both violent and sadistic, but one's slightly less sadistic than the other one meaning they're this movie's "heroes". Why we the audience are supposed to care about the sheik falling in love with dale or defeating the rival tribe is anyone's guess as the romance feels cringey and the tribal warfare lacks any stakes or reason to care.

That said, the movie does have merit to it. John Rhys Davies and Lambert Wilson are genuinely good even if they are unsympathetic despite the movie's attempts to make us think otherwise. The movie is also well shot with some beautiful shots of the Sahara as well as a genuine sense of scope and scale in the racing and battle scenes. The movie's budget was $25 Million (of which it made back $1 Million) and you can see the money in the movie, it's just a shame it's for a movie that is lacking in character or story.

Sahara is a bad movie made well. It's about as good as a bad movie can be made. While the performances range from good to bad, and the story is a cluttered unfocused mess, there is entertainment value to be had from the technical aspects on display. It's not good, but it is watchable.

Lambert is mesmerizing!

[Babs-48 · 8/10 · 16 July 2000]

I'm a pushover for the Saharan setting, but discovering Lambert Wilson was the best surprise. He made the whole movie. His eyes, voice, stature......just wonderful. I liked the adventure of the movie.......much like the Great American Race.

Pretty Good Romance

[ssims-775-418356 · 7/10 · 25 June 2010]

This movie is actually pretty good for what it is (a romance novel basically) and provides an enjoyable, light romance with plenty of over-the-top adventure.

Shields is very charming in the role of a wealthy, American, 1920's socialite with a dare-devil attitude and absolutely no experience with "real life". The daughter of the Packard mogul before the car is an American standard, she enters a race across the Sahara desert in order to secure the company's future. Partway through the race, she winds up getting kidnapped by John Rhys-Davies and is dragged off to his tribe's camp in the desert.

Lambert plays the sheik of the tribe (Davies is his uncle and second in command), and is about to go to war with a neighboring tribe when Shields is captured. Instantly smitten with Shields, Lambert tries to take her from Davies, who refuses to give her up. Lambert threatens to take her as a wife so that he alone can lay claim to her, and thus begins a chain of events which ties not only his fate, but the fate of his tribe, to her.

Shields, who of course is angry at getting kidnapped in the first place, is not happy when she finds out what Lambert has planned for her. She gets herself, her friends and eventually the entire tribe into tons of trouble trying to get away.

The movie features horses, scorpions, jungle cats (er yes, but they are fun to watch), battles, romance, betrayal, kidnap, rescue and of course, a cross-country race.

I tend to prefer strong female roles, and this character was awfully naive, but I enjoyed watching it anyway. If anyone else had played the part, it might have been irritating, but Shields managed to be charming throughout and relatively believable for the breadth of the role. Lambert is quite handsome, and the close work and romantic lighting of his eyes is often mesmerizing. There are lots of silly moments, relatively good action (though, the falling rocks are a bit much) and really enjoyable music. Ignoring the picture quality and all the technical marvels we enjoy today, it's relatively well-shot and edited and easy to watch.

A good movie for a rainy day.

Please, don't watch it!!!

[misoni · 2/10 · 19 July 2000]

I`ve never seen as many bad actors in a single movie, it seems that they have bought their acting diplomas - if they have one!Not even Brooke's beauty makes this movie tolerable. Unless you are a big fan of her, don't waste your precious time watching it.

The worst bodice-ripper I've ever seen

[otter · 25 July 1999]

Ludicrous bodice-ripper starring the wooden Brook Shields as the kind of plucky romantic heroine who can change outfits in mid-kidnapping. Features such silliness as nomadic Bedouin chiefs who keep stone dungeons on hand, other Bedouin who have frosted lipstick and gold lame party outfits lying around, more Bedouin going on a human hunt using leopards instead of hounds (the leopards are kept on leashes where they can't chase anything), hairstyles that range from 1910 to 1983 (story set in the 1920's), incredible continuity problems with the trans-Sahara race that forms the basis of the plot (Brooke spends about a week in one spot, and suddenly the other drivers all appear at once; her two assistants appear and disappear randomly) etc. etc.

Just about the dumbest, silliest, most badly acted, worst plotted excuse for a movie you'll ever see. Young Brooke Shields is so bad that you swear she couldn't get the lead in a a high school play, much less a real movie. Even by the low standards of the romance genre, it's pathetic.

Who ever made this?

[Amadio · 2/10 · 21 March 2012]

I saw this film (sic) recently, and by modern production techniques it is awful. By production techniques of the time I guess it is less than average. Continuity, story logic, 'special' effects, and editing are worse than woeful. On paper, I think it a reasonable story; in actuality it is ham-fisted, over-acted, wooden (yes, the two together) and laughable. You can see how the film was edited, how it was shot; it is almost like watching how a film was made. Brooke Shields gained fame for her looks, not her talent, as she became older she became a capable actress - and lost her looks. Take your pick; talentless babe, or competent worker. Either way, do not bother with Sahara - it makes Xanadu and Ishtar (yes, that dates me) look cool.

A shameful participation of a great actor

[jvdesuit1 · 1/10 · 19 October 2016]

How can a great actor like Lambert Wilson son of one of the greatest french actor accepts to participate in such a stupid and pathetic scenario and movie. Even the worst of spaghetti movies is better than this monstrosity. How did Ennio Morricone waste his time and talent to compose a score for that! Do those guys have bank accounts problems? Even my concierge would not watch such movie! There are limits not to be overshoot in the production of movies and this one has by far overtaken them showing the total lack of culture of Andrew V. McLaglen as far as knowledge of the Muslim culture, ways. It's a total lack of respect towards a great civilization whatever our feelings are for the extremists we see at work today who also betray their own civilization and faith.

You Got Sand In Your Eyes, Or Something?

[StrictlyConfidential · 2/10 · 20 May 2020]

OK. To be completely fair here, I can't put the total blame for "Sahara" being an utter failure on the exquisite shoulders of the beautifully radiant Brooke Shields. I'd sure like to, but, alas, I cannot.

I mean, even though darling Brooke may very well be about the worst actress alive on the entire face of this whole planet, there's certainly a whole lot more to "Sahara's" dang-blasted problem than just Brooke's inability to act (the poor, untalented dear).

'Cause, believe me - "Sahara" really is a tacky film, all round.

And, just remember - While watching "Sahara" that any resemblance this film may have to actually being good movie-entertainment is purely a hallucination.

Unjustly criticized

[dfn-1992 · 6/10 · 2 May 2020]

This movie is really not bad! Sure it is somewhat cheesy and not too realistic. But I look at it as an 80s adventure film - a piece of escapism! It's romantic and admittedly, a bit cheesy. But the movie is entertaining from start to finish and even keeps you at the edge of your seat during the action sequences that are actually pretty good. Obviously, Brooke Shields was a very beautiful woman, just 17 in this movie, but I really don't think she deserves a razzie for worst actress. Overall, I think she did a good job. I think a lot of people just viewed her as a pretty face. But she is actually a good actress. Envy, I wonder?

Lacked Passion

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 25 October 2020]

This film essentially begins with a man by the name of "Gordon" (Steve Forrest) who has built a sports car and needs a bank to finance further production. Not willing to take a chance on an unproven product he is given the opportunity to prove the car's reliability by entering it in a grueling race known as the "Trans-National Auto Race" which takes place in the Sahara Desert. Unfortunately, he dies just before the race and as a result his daughter "Dale" (Brooke Shields) disguises the fact that she is female and enters the race in his place. Initially, all of the racers are given their choice of paths to take on this race but they are warned if they take the shorter one there is a risk of a tribal war starting and are advised against that route as a precaution. Considering that the shorter route may save 3 or 4 days in the process, Dale accepts the risk but what she doesn't realize is that war has indeed broken out and that she will now have to contend with both warring factions if she is to have any chance of winning. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an okay film which had a decent plot and some good action scenes. It also had a lighthearted feel which tended to limit some of the scenes requiring drama or passion. That being said, although Brooke Shields was certainly quite beautiful, her acting wasn't really sufficient to overcome this problem and as a result I have to rate this film accordingly. Average.

Half family oriented and half not

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 29 May 2023]

(1983) Sahara ACTION ADVENTURE

The movie is supposedly takes place during the year of 1924 which at the opening has a young lady, Dale (Brooke Sheilds) driving her car around a track, with sponsors looking onward. For the celebration of the new model car, is a party and when the father goes for a ride, he gets into an accident and dies. Before he dies, he tells his only child, Dale to compete into the race called the Sahara rally for the intention of impressing sponsors, except that only men are allowed to enter. So she disguises herself as a young man so that she can meet an old rival of her dad's, Von Glessing (Horst Buchholz). During the Sahara race each contestant are warned about a war that is brewing on the desert between two factions of the Chambra tribe and the Hamancha tribe. And it is not long before she begins to cross paths with the Chambra tribe with the senior uncle Ibrahim Rasoul (John Rhys-Davies) abducting Dale and her two crewman. And she begins to meet and eventually fall for his uncle's nephew sheik, Ahmed Al Jaffar (Lambert Wilson) while captured.

Although, there are no cringe worthy scenes, that upon watching this, the movie can't seem to know what it wants which at the opening show cases a group of gypsies mercilessly killed by the Chambra tribe for no reason. Then the next thing you know, they are then supposed to be the side, viewers are supposed to root for since it is the same tribe the Brooke Sheilds character falls in love with. This is one of those movies in which producers may have seen actor John Rhys-Davies in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and loved his performance so much that they may have intervened during the making of this one, and try to become directors themselves by replicate the same tone as the Indiana Jones movies.

Racing and romance in the Sahara

[aorban-1 · 8/10 · 4 January 2006]

Storyline very good and romantic, however at the time Brooke Sheilds appeared that she had never really made love with anyone before in real life, let alone in the movie. The cars and the race was very real as was the desert locales. I enjoyed the different characters portrayed as race drivers and how the race turned out. I wondered if the race was based on facts or not. The costumes were good and the dialog flowed well. Lambert Wilson was very believable in his role. The battle scenes were good and intense, not like those of today where they are very bloody or graphic, but still good. The scenes of the rescue of Brooke Sheilds by Lambert Wilson were on the edge of your seat and the ending where she returns to him is extremely romantic. I found it over all very entertaining.

A romantic adventure set in the African desert but shot in Negev Desert, Israel

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 17 September 2023]

Intent on winning a competition in place of her distinguished late father (Steve Forest) , beautiful young heiress Dale (Brooke Shields) competes in his spot, takes on the guise of a man and then takes his place in a trans-African auto race, but ends up being abducted and falling in love for a desert sheik (Lambert Wilson) .embarking on a car race that crosses the unforgiving Sahara desert. Along the way, she must fight against nasty Arabs (Ronald Lacey) and for her survival in the sunny desert. The hottest place on earth is about to get hotter!. The Romantic Adventure of a Lifetime!.She challenged the desert, its men, their passions and ignited a bold adventure!.

An amusing but uneven ¨Perils of Pauline adventure¨ type adventure with thrills, chases, battles and romance. Starring Shields as a leggy little rich girl attempting to fulfil her dead daddy's dream by winning trans-Sahara car race is bound to attract some disconcerting jokes. Yet though an ugly crier and an indifferent actress, Shields throws herself into the part with gusto, doing many of her own stunts and suggesting that, given the fun script, she would work hard to be more than just a pretty face. Although this isn't as bad as one might expect, the film results to be mediocre with its fits and starts . Plenty of action and silly situations combined with so-so performances makes this one on step below the usual adventure movies. It really isn't bad as one might expect, but then expectations raised by this sand-strewn romantic adventure, inspired by the Prime Mnister Margaret Thatcher 's son driving his fast car into the middle of Africa and getting lost, barely reached ankle height. Stars beautiful Brooke Shields giving a lousy acting as young Dale who disguises herself as a man to complete a race across the desert in honor of her late father and a sheik captures her. And Lambert Wilson as the dashing sheik who takes her in his strong hands. In Sahara (1983) stands out a stunning support cast, such as: John Rhys-Davies, Horst Buchholz, Perry Lang, Cliff Potts, John Mills, Steve Forrest and Ronald Lacey

It contains an emotive and spectacular musical score by the grean Ennio Morricone. Likewise, colorful and brilliant cinematography by David Gurfinkel and Armando Nannuzzi. Shot on location in Jaffa, Israel, Negev Desert, Eliat, Israel, and London , England United Kingdom. The motion picture was middlingly but professionally directed by Andrew McLagen, and it has flaws, gaps and shortcomings. McLagen marshals his desert scenary nice, and the script almost manages to hold one's ttention much of the time. Andrew was the son of Ford's stock company stalwart, Victor McLagen. He was born in London but grew up around Hollywood, where his father often took him on movie sets. He learned the art of directing from greats like John Ford, who eventually gave him a job as assistant director on The Quiet man (1952). He holds the distinction of directing the most episodes of Gunsmoke (1955) and of Have gun Will travel (1957) . Being one of the few directors to have directed both Clint Eastwood and John Wayne , including Undefeated (1969) and Chisum (1970). He was a prolific craftsman who made all kinds of genres , such as : Wartime : Dirty dozen next mission, Sea wolves, Breakthrough, Wild geese, The Devil's brigade . Action adventure genre: Sahara , Ffolkes , Mitchell, On wings of eagles . And Western : Shenandoah, The way west , The rare breed, Bandolero, The last hard men , The Blue and the Gray and The shadow riders again with Katharine Ross. Rating : 4.5/10 . Average, though passable and acceptable at times. Well worth watching for Brooke Shields fans.

a fine adventure film

[mischam76 · 9/10 · 8 January 2005]

i don't understand why this film has been given so much stick.it is a corny 1983 adventure like all the others in the eighties and does a good job as a film of it nature and genre. there's lots of cheese,granted,but isn't that what these kind of films are suppose to be full of? Brooke Shields looks absolutely stunning through out,and although her gender bending sequence was a bad idea,its not her fault.how can you make such a stunning woman pass for a man.the water fall scene makes up for it all though. Brooke's performance was fine,as were the performances of her co stars though nobody stands out.

this was a fun and enjoyable adventure film,just as it was made to be and deserves a lot more credit.

Excellent Movie-One of my mom's all time favorites

[adkelly123 · 10/10 · 31 July 2009]

This is an awesome movie. I watched with my mom 1-2 times a month for over a decade. Then her VHS copy became worn out. I would love to find a copy on DVD for her and a 2nd one for me. I can't say enough good things about this movie. It is an action-packed, love story that appeals to people from a large range of demographics, from the teenage adventurer to the passionate housewife to the race fans and everyone in between. Everyone should find something intriguing about this movie. Lets get real. This is a love story wrapped around a car race across a desert. Shields' character pushes the envelope by challenging equality barriers for women in this region. This is truly an all-around fabulous movie.