A lot of people give Sahara a bad rap due to the lawsuits that circled around its conception, but despite that I do think it's a good movie, and gets unfairly critiqued. Yes, it falls into a few foolish inconsistencies as well as cliches, but as far as entertainment goes, it's pure fun. The jokes are good, the cast has great chemistry, and the soundtrack is enjoyable. My mother went to school with Steve Zahn--I grew up on this movie. It's worth a watch if you like action/adventure filled "yeah 'murica" movies.
I can't speak for the Cussler novel, but the movie is enjoyable.