Sahara Netflix Movie Review

Sahara (2017)

Watch Sahara on Netflix
Written by: Pierre Coré, Nessim Debbiche, Stéphane Kazandjian (screenplay)
Directed by:  Pierre Coré
Starring: Omar Sy, Louane Emera, Franck Gastambide, Jean Dujardin
Rating: TV-Y7

Plot
Two clans of snakes exist in the desert. The green serpents of an oasis and the poisonous snakes of the sand. After a chance encounter, poisonous snake Ajar crosses the Sahara with his best friend, a scorpion Pit, to save green snake Eva.

Verdict
This is a derivative movie. It takes themes and stories we've seen before and foists them upon snakes. It lacks any big moments or music that could set it apart from a DVD bargain bin movie. The writing is very blunt. The characters don't have much depth and the plot is by the numbers. It's serviceable as entertainment for children, but adults will become bored.
It depends.

Review
This almost needs two rating systems, scaling this for movies at large and as mindless entertainment for children.
From the opening, this isn't a deftly written script. The inspiration for this could be traced from various other movies. We're presented with a couple of snakes from the opposite sides of town. Ajar has no friends, save for his buddy Pitt, a scorpion. Better writing that explored these characters could make this movie more meaningful. The beats of the plot don't have much impact. Events happen one after another as if we're completing a check list.

This doesn't set a standard for animated films as far as the story, and it doesn't have to. The animation is very good, and the movement of the snakes as they slithered across the sand was always accurate and impressive.
The time period is a bit strange. I assumed this was set in pre-modern if not ancient times. When tourists show up in a Jeep, I realized this was set closer to contemporary times. It's a small detail, but another example of the writing forcing the plot and story.
The drug innuendo with the brother Gary is completely unnecessary. Removing his pollen addiction wouldn't impact the story at all. Instead we have this weird inclusion that is a tone deaf attempt to include adults, but instead shorts the only audience that can willingly ignore the shortcomings.