“National Treasure” sets out to tell a blockbuster story combining adventure, history, treasure hunting and old-fashioned thievery, and succeeds in delivering an entertaining experience for the audience. One knows what to expect from the forces behind this movie, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and actor Nicolas Cage, who have previously collaborated on blockbusters “The Rock,” “Con Air” and “Gone in Sixty Seconds.” Bruckheimer specializes in larger-than-life epic adventure stories with car chases, stunts, and rollercoaster pacing, and his latest film is no different.
“National Treasure” combines those blockbuster qualities with the historical fiction conspiracy novel popularized by Dan Brown in “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels and Demons.” Benjamin Franklin Gate, the rogue historian hero portrayed by Cage, pays homage to legendary movie character Indiana Jones. He comes from a long lineage of historians ostracized by the academic community, but the Gates family has been entrusted with clues leading to a massive treasure. The hunt supposedly takes its seeker to the treasure the Knights Templar, recovered from the Temple of Solomon and hidden throughout history, eventually resting with the Founding Fathers of the Constitution. Partnered with an ambitious millionaire (played by “Lord of the Rings” Sean Bean) who will stop at nothing to retrieve the Templar gold, Gates begins a race to piece together the clues and find the treasure.
The film is rounded out by its supporting cast, including Harvey Keitel as an FBI special agent hunting for Gates and Jon Voigt as Gates’ father. Gates is reluctantly joined in his quest for the treasure by the beautiful and saucy museum curator Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger).
A highlight in the cast is Gates’ friend Riley, a technical whiz and wisecracking complement to Gates’ earnest hero. Riley (played by newcomer Justin Bartha) is the easiest character to relate to in the movie, and shares in the audience’s disbelief and wonder at the circumstances in which the characters find themselves.
Despite the fact that some of the stunts are realistically impossible, the character arcs are thin and the ending is fairly predictable, I enjoyed this film. Cage’s Benjamin Franklin Gates is an entertaining movie protagonist to watch. He is a giant history nerd, atypical of Hollywood action heroes, and he tends to think his way through conflict – Gates never touches a gun throughout the film.
The historical research driving the plot is logically convincing, and the suspension of disbelief remains intact throughout the movie. It is certainly smarter than most Bruckheimer adventure movies. Combining heist and adventure genres while adding a dash of historical conspiracy, this movie is a perfect blend of all of my interests. Movie studios could trot out films with the same plot with different characters and historical mysteries, and I would line up to see them all.
Darren Schwindaman can be reached at [email protected].
