Master explorer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) takes on the adventure of his life when he embarks on a treasure hunt through some of the most dangerous regions of North Africa. Searching for what locals call "The Ship of Death", a long lost Civil War battleship filled with coins, Pitt and his wisecracking sidekick (Steve Zahn) use their wits and clever heroics to help Doctor Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz) who believes the ship may be linked to mysterious deaths in the very same area.

Some movies are just not what you expected them to be. I was expecting another National Treasure/De Vinci Code rip-off but instead got a pure adrenaline rushing action movie. I mean it looked like at times they thought about incorporating some of the De Vinci Code elements but abandoned them instead for some fast paced action sequences. This makes the story and plot a little off as there is really not that much of a plot or story as the movie clearly abandons the whole treasure hunting scenario instead for a stopping the bad guys from destroying the world scenario. Oh, the movie is good and is a lot of fun but man I wish they had not fallen prey into to doing two stories and by doing so pretty much leaving each quite sketchy. Whenever you get into one of the plot lines are start enjoying yourself the other plot line pops up and ruins it all. So you end up with a really good movie instead of the possibility of a great one.

I also have to question the casting of this movie as none of the actors seemed entirely right for their characters. Matthew McConaughey has done way to many cutesy romantic comedies to abandon that so quickly for the hardcore treasure hunter he is supposed to be in the movies. You cannot get the other movies out of your head of him as the hopeless romantic. Steve Zahn was great at the comic relief but he is also suppose to be an ex Navy Seal kind of guy in the film and Steve Zahn is the absolute opposite of a Navy Seal in my mind. Penélope Cruz does an admirable job but her character was never really fully developed rather it seemed to be thrown in for Matthew to have a reason to abandon the treasure hunting plot. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the movie, it was action packed and lots of fun but it also could have been a whole lot better.
3.5 stars out of 5