Sahara

Upon seeing this film back at 2017 when it came out on Netflix, I was expecting a very groundbreaking animated adventure that would rank to the likes of Pixar and DreamWorks. Unfortunately, what I got was an OK flick with some good visuals but a very underwhelming story. It's not a terrible film, don't get me wrong, but it could've been so much better.

Let's start with the problems. The story has a very nice idea, a movie that takes place in the Sahara desert with a Romeo and Juliet-esque twist. Execution-wise, however, it falls into predictable territory and has cliches we've seen before in other animated films. Not to mention that it does drag somewhat slowly in places. While it does have some bits of funny humor, the script includes some adult references that are way too inappropriate for some viewers. Also, the characters didn't leave an impact to the story and end up being shallow and underdeveloped.

That being said, there are some good things to admire about this film. The voice acting from everyone involved is fairly good especially the English dub (I might want to watch the film in french audio with subtitles someday since this was made by another animation studio in France), the music score fits the setting of the film very well, there are some moments where the action gets very interesting, and the best part is the animation. From the most unique animal designs of the characters to the nicely detailed look of the Sahara desert which makes the film worth watching because of it.

Overall, this film makes for passable entertainment. It doesn't offer much in terms of the story and characters, but it's beautiful animation and a good music score makes this a flawed, but interesting animated movie made from France. If you have kids, give this one a shot. For the adults though, they probably won't get anything out of this.

Sahara is a film I was unsure of. I went in with very low expectations... and, while those expectations weren't met, I felt disappointed by how the film tried to be unique and original but was bogged down by so many elements which didn't have any business being in it. Why did it name drop Batman and Robin? Why was some kind of commentary about class and race divide? Why was this movie trying to do so many things at once instead of doing the one thing I wanted it to be about - a love story with snakes as the main characters. That would be unique and interesting and has so much potential but no, this film had to get bogged down by so many annoying little cliches and trying to be relevant in all the wrong ways.

I wanted this movie to be better than it was, I really did. And it felt like it was trying... but instead, what could have been a wonderful and unique movie ended up being forced into something it didn't want to be. And that makes me sad.

A shame honestly, since it had a lot of potential (like a lot of other animated movies), but it ends up wasting it. While there are certain interesting parts such as the tense relationship between Ajar, Pitt and Gary at certain moments in the film, or how beautiful certain animations and places can be, there is not much else to highlight, since the story itself is generic, and also has many plot holes and does not explain certain things such as why dusty and green snakes got on badly. I think it is cliche, but even so, I recommend it to hang out, since some parts that are interesting, but nothing more.

The first thing one notices about Sahara is that it's visually stunning, with an art style that looks high-budget yet sets itself apart from the average CGI flick. Coupled with decent sound design, the film has good production values on the surface.

Unfortunately, the script, storyboarding, and directing fluctuate between decent and cringe-worthy. Sometimes the action can be involving and the humor genuinely funny. But at other times it can be derivative or just plain awkward. The snakes in the film sometimes talk like humans (for example referencing Batman), which at those moments makes the film feel very cheap. Other times they actually steal jokes from other places. Some moments the film just feels clumsy like a demo reel. For example, I almost dozed off during the "climax" of the movie because the action was kind of confusing.

Unfortunately, the writers and directors of the movie missed an opportunity to capitalize on the great production values with a solid script. It felt like someone whipped up the dialogue and refused to have it reviewed by anyone else. That said, it's not a bad movie. It's worth watching if only for the nice animation, and it shows that there is potential for new players in the CGI realm (who aren't from Pixar, Disney, or Dreamworks) to make something great-if they just step it up a little bit more.

The saying "All flash, no substance" feels like a perfect descriptor of this movie. The painting-like visuals of this movie are fantastic. The people in charge of that definitely deserve some praise for what they've accomplished. Now if only these people could be paired up with some people that are competent at crafting stories.. Because the story is anything but well-crafted. Most characters are extremely underdeveloped and shallow, with motivations being as flimsy as a leaf in the wind. I don't remember a single character in the movie being the least bit interesting; such utterly forgettable characters.

Give this one a skip unless you're tired and just wanna look at something pretty while you shut your brain off.