In 1974, a young boy searches a musty old attic for relics when
his grandfather encounters him. Deciding that he is of age, he tells the kid
about an ancient treasure that had been fought over for thousands of years. The
Masons, whom were among the founders of the nation, eventually brought this
majestic treasure to America. Reportedly, the Masons had left vital clues to the
whereabouts of this treasure, starting with the cryptic saying: "The secret
lies with the Charlotte."
Thirty years later, that boy, Benjamin Franklin Gates (now played by Nick Cage)
is leading a team of explorers into the Antarctic to find the Charlotte, which
turns out to have been a ship that had been buried under the ice and snow for
centuries. Finding the ship Gates and his partner Ian Howe (Sean Bean) and
associate Riley (Justin Bartha) discover that the secret aboard the Charlotte
is yet another clue, which is in the shape of an old pipe that had a coded
message on it. Gates deciphers the message, which turns out to be a riddle that
says the map leading to the great treasure is printed on the back of the
Declaration Of Independence itself.
When Ian decides that the only way to get the map is to steal the Declaration Of
Independence, Gates is horrified and refuses to go along. This creates a nasty
rift between the men to the point where Ian tries to kill Gates and Riley aboard
the Charlotte. Barely surviving their adventure in the Antarctic, Gates and
Riley race back to Washington D.C., where they enlist the help of Abigail Chase
(Diane Kruger from Troy), an expert on the Declaration Of Independence, to save
the document from Ian and his men, as well as find the majestic treasure.
National Treasure is an entertaining piece of fluff that does a good job of mixing
the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones with the high-tech razzle-dazzle of the
Mission Impossible films. Nick Cage is at his popcorn movie best as Gates, Diane
Kruger is very easy on the eyes, and Sean Bean makes for a good villain. And
while Jon Voight and Christopher Plummer offer solid support within the film's
cast, Justin Bartha nearly steals the movie with his portrayal of Riley as a
slightly loopy dude who views the world from a very skewered perspective.
Director Jon Turteltaub keeps the events moving at a brisk pace, and he uses the
film's various locations--all within the United States--to great effect. The DVD
special features include a 'making of' documentary, a featurette on the Knights
Templar, and a look at real-life modern day treasure hunters. There are also
deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and an interactive game called "Riley
Poole's Decode This!" There's also a look at the opening scene animatic, with an
optional commentary from the director (although there's no commentary on the
film itself). National Treasure may not be a classic in the same league as
Raiders Of The Lost Ark, but as long as you ignore the silliness, it's still a
fun, diverting ride.
--SF
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