Poor casting of some fine actors in the wrong roles. Movie has some great moments in it, mainly where they actually followed the novel. Unfortunately, this film chops out most of the action that was in the novel, and several key characters. Congresswoman Loren Smith, MIA. Al Giordino, MIA. Navy Seals, MIA. Russian spy's on-board the Titanic after it is raised, MIA. Titanic adrift in a storm with Russian Spetznaz on board Titanic during the storm, MIA. The LONG & BORING stretch of this movie that was wasted on underwater submersibles looking for the Titanic could've been used for some of the real action that was in the novel. Any 1st year film school student could easily edit out 30 minutes of waste from this poorly produced film. It was a great novel, and the movie could've been great and launched a series of Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt movies. But this film was poorly made, and the more recent actual discover of the broken Titanic wipes out any second chance for turning this fine novel into a movie again.<br /><br />This film was such a disaster, that novelist Clive Cussler refused to consider any more of his novels for films, for many years. Finally, Matthew McCougnahy talked him into it. MM is both playing Dirk Pitt and an Exucutive Producer for the film Sahara. EXCELLENTLY DONE! That was the first of a 3 movie deal that Clive Cussler sold. Clive maintained final veto power of much of the deal, a lesson sorely learned from Raise The Titanic. I can't remember what the other 2 novels are that make up that deal. Hopefully, we will see them soon.<br /><br />Dirk Pitt novels always have had the potential to give us a uniquely American action hero movie series (sort of modern Indiana Jones/James Bond). It is a shame that British actor (RIP) Richard Jordan was mis-cast for the role in Raise The Titanic.<br /><br />Final little side-note. Raise The Titanic was NOT the first Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt novel. It was preceded by a couple of years by "The Mediterranean Caper". That was the shortest of these novels, and in my humble opinion the best written. It would make a great movie even today.