[other] Sahara (1995) with Jim Belushi

[machievelli]

I have commented on movies before, and while watching this one, I felt it deserved a review.

 

First, the original with Humphrey Bogart was damn good. It was tough to beat. But I have to admit that Brian Trenchard-Smith did a damn good job. And a big part of it (With only two screw ups) was using reality to make it better.

 

I am a big believer in reality as you know from Christos and I arguing about it. If the premise is invalid, the story doesn't work. Watching this updated version, I have to admit the original failed, and the newer version did a damn sight better. First, they never mentioned where it was except for the end where they say they held, but in this one they name the Qatara depression which is what stopped Rommel from flanking the El Alamein line. Sergeant Gumm (Belushi) tells them that if they hold just for one day, it might save the English lines.

 

In the original, they dig trenches, and fight the good fight. In the new version, with the assistance of mines, they don't because they want the enemy bled a bit. But here is screw up one. Waco, who went off to find help doesn't leave. Without trenches, they are much easier to kill, and the enemy has cover close enough to at least try to break them. So you have nine men pretty much doing their rendition of the Alamo and the guys who are coming will probably not even bother telling anyone how they died.

 

Second screw up, the German officer decides to try a banzai charge of all things covered with mortars. The distance from the closest dunes (Unlike the pretty much wide open spaces in the original), is about a hundred yards. Meaning that half a dozen good shots with rifles can take them down.

 

They also had more losses. If i remember four of the nine survived. In this one, only two survive.

 

The best was the end. Remember, they didn't send anyone to let the Allies know. So you have two men covering about a hundred fifty, and suddenly vehicles come over the dunes. The British survivor is bitter, thinking about how unfair it is. Of course it's the British, and one of the two units that might be wandering the deep desert, the Longe Range Desert Patrol.

 

If I gave stars, I'd give it four. On a scale of 1-10, an eight. Well worth watching.