National Treasure Film DVD Review

Nicolas Cage Obsessed Treasure Hunter Pursues Free Masons' Wealth

Jan 20, 2009

Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), dreamed of tracking down the treasure his forefathers failed to find. Where does it start? With a clue called the Charlotte.

The first clue Ben Gates has to work with is - Charlotte. Who/what is Charlotte? Turns out it is the name of a ship evidently out of the American Revolutionary War era. With Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), Ian Howe (Sean Bean) and others, Gates travels to a frozen wasteland to find the remains of this vessel.

A frozen corpse guards an intricately carved ivory pipe. Encased in the stem of the pipe is a scroll, a riddle leading to the Declaration of Independence. Obtain the Declaration, and the solution to a world reknown treasure trove, first obtained by the Knights Templars, and protected by the Free Masons of the 13 American colonies, awaits the lucky party.

Ben and Ian part ways - simultaneously with the same objective, yet, cross purposed. Now rivals, the race to the treasure begins.

Family Picture

The film is rated PG for some scary action scenes. On a scale of 1-10, perhaps a 2, yet, for the very young, could be a bit much. An imaginative car chase adds to the stress of the storyline. There is some exploding gunpowder and gunfire. Otherwise, this action feature is very family friendly.

Script

Sprinkles of humor, intrigue and intellectual tidbits elevate this film to more than kid fare. The script actually assumes that the audience has some measure of intelligence - refreshing! The only drawback, Cage figures out the clues a tad too easily. Given time constraints this is excusable, however.

Actors

Nicolas Cage (Moonstruck) and Diane Kruger (Troy), who plays Abigail Chase, the lovely caretaker in charge of the Declaration of Independence, play off one another very well. There is obvious conflict and chemistry between them, enhancing the tension within the story. There aren't any surprise sex scenes to shield the kiddos from, either. There's just enough appealing chemistry and tension between these actors, not over or underdone.

Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) as the nemesis, Ian, is a well dressed, relatively intellectual villain. Bean charmingly portrays his character's vices.

Christopher Plummer (Sound of Music) as John Adams Gates, portraying the young Ben Gates' grandfather, introduces the aspiring treasure hunter to the mystery of the treasure. His appearance is brief, such a shame for a gifted actor. Likewise, Jon Voight (Deliverance), as Ben Gates father, Patrick Gates, appears somewhat briefly. His roles increases a bit towards the end. Both actors play their parts well. Rather disappointing that these two notable actors did not have more lines within the script.

Justin Bartha's (National Treasure: Book of Secrets) character (Riley Poole) doesn't seem to fit. Riley is not a history buff, but does like the idea of becoming rich and famous. The character is a little off center, but instead of subtracting from the film, this character's quirkiness just adds a little color to the tone of the story.

Choreography Special Effects and Score

The mood of the film is established well with the choreography, special effects and score. The viewer travels back in time as well as to some of the pertinent locations associated with the Declaration of Independence. An entertaining film - it would make an interesting visual aid to kick off a study of this famous document in a classroom.

Special Effects Feature

Given the favorable choreography and score, it seemed the special effects feature would have had more to offer - disappointing.

The copyright of the article National Treasure Film DVD Review in Action Films is owned by Jeannie Delahunt. Permission to republish National Treasure Film DVD Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.