National Treasure (2004)

Written by Cormac Wibberley & Marianne Wibberley and Jim Kouf
Directed by Jon Turtletaub

For years I have avoided this movie, initially equating it as nothing more than a poor man's Indiana Jones, and I'm of the belief that if you aren't going to do an adventure serial correctly, then don't do one at all. I feel the genre is a tricky one, the right mixture of adventure, real history, faked history, lavish action sequences, great set pieces, and engaging and entertaining characters with good dialogue. Sensing none of this from the trailers, I opted to skip National Treasure, and I did so for quite a few years now. Well, with the second one coming out, and ready access to the DVD at no cost to myself, I decided maybe it was time to take a quick glance at it while my entire house was packed to be moved.

Well, not a terrible decision, but if you want an adventure movie, you're better off sticking with Indiana Jones or one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Still, sitting down to watch National Treasure is not a complete waste of time, but not being stuck, I'd opt to watch something better, and I don't see myself bothering to see the sequel.

The story that sets off this grand adventure begins with John Adams Gates (Christopher Plummer) telling his grandson Benjamin Franklin Gates (when grown, Nicholas Cage) about the Gates family's great responsibility of guarding a secret clue that could possibly lead a follower to the greatest treasure ever hidden. Young Ben grows up to be obsessed with the story of the treasure, and against the wishes of his father, Patrick Henry Gates (Jon Voight), ends up in the Artic Circle a-treasure hunting as he goes. Ben and his bankroller, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) have come upon a ship frozen under the vast ice where they believe the next clue towards the treasure lies.

It is here where the villain is revealed, where Howe vows to steal the Declaration of Independence if Gates won't, for on the back of that document lays their next clue to the treasure. From here, it becomes Gates vs Howe, with Gates setting out to steal the Declaration before his evil nemisis can do the same thing. Armed with technology provided by his sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha), Gates concocts a plan and puts it into action, just minutes before the sinister Howe does the exact same. Gates manages to escape having made a daring heist of the Declaration, and from here action sequences ensue in Jerry Bruckheimer-fashion as the two foes go clue to clue trying to make it to the treasure first.

This is a paint-by-numbers plot that exists merely to set up each action set piece, but most of the fans of the movie didn't seem to mind the continuous cliffhanger clues, each one setting up a new impossible task, to be knocked down by Gates, just before Howe can do it. Personally, I was always drawn to the Indiana Jones films by not only the great action and tense scenes of suspense, but by Indy's wry humor, which is the one thing Gates completely lacks. His nerdy demeanor propels him to care only for the tasks at hand, and with the help of National Archivist Dr. Chase (Diane Kruger), he makes incredible supposition after supposition, with very vague clues, which lead you to believe Ben Gates is some type of psychic super genius. Even after dedicating your life to this single quest, he still jumps from idea to idea with very little to go on. This is basically the layout of the entire movie though, with one incredible thing happening after another, until you reach the hilt where you either don't care (which to enjoy this movie, you really can't in the first place), or you are simply amused by the stupidity involved. However, this is a family film, so anyone going into it has to know what they are getting.

Still, this is no excuse for a lame brained plot, and with a bit more thought, this could have been a much better movie, along the lines of Indiana Jones. From what I've heard and read, the plot is almost exactly the same as The Da Vinci Code, with only a few minor elements changed, such as the settings and the object sought after. Yet another reason I won't ever be seeing The Da Vinci Code. If anything, National Treasure is a mindless adventure flick that is good for the whole family, but to a smart moviegoer, it's nothing I would highly recommend. Good for some brainless escapism, but really nothing more.

5.5/10