(Credit: www.amazon.com)
Director:
Jon Turteltaub
Cast:
Nicolas Cage……….Benjamin Franklin Gates
Justin Bartha……….Riley Poole
Sean Bean……….Ian Howe
Diane Kruger……….Dr. Abigail Chase
Harvey Keitel……….Sadusky
Jon Voight……….Patrick Henry Gates
David Dayan Fisher……….Shaw
Christopher Plummer……….John Adams Gates
Walt Disney Pictures presents a film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Written by Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley. Running time: 100 minutes. Rated PG (for action violence and some scary images).
The movie:
In my theatrical review for National Treasure I said the movie played like “The Da Vinci code for dummies.” Well, after watching the film again, I realize the movie isn’t as bad as I first thought.
Yes, there are flaws. The idea that the Declaration of Independence is a secret treasure map is asinine. But the snatch and grab job is a fun caper experience. Jerry Bruckheimer used to be one of those big honcho movie producers that made nothing but pure adrenaline action. Lately, however, he has found success venturing out of the rough and tumble business of action films.
National Treasure is a fun, albeit pedestrian, adventure movie with characters that are neither condescending nor insult your intelligence. Nicolas Cage stars as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a so-called “treasure protector” looking for an ancient treasure. The legendary Knights Templar stole the riches of King Solomon’s mines in Jerusalem and transported the treasure across Europe and into Scotland. There, the Masons safeguarded the bounty. Before impending forces could seize the riches, the Masons made their way to America with the treasure.
For most of his adult life Benjamin has been searching for this important piece of history. The only clue he has comes from his grandfather, John Adams Gates; the clue is the word “Charlotte.” As it turns out, Charlotte is the name of a sailing vessel from Boston, Massachusetts in 1800. With the help of a financer, Ian Howe (Sean Bean), and his bookish computer geek assistant Riley (Justin Bartha), Benjamin finds a clue that leads them to Washington, D.C. But, wouldn’t you know it; an explosion destroys his first big break.
To make matters worse, Ian was the one who instigated the explosion. He was fed up after two years with Benjamin and was expecting a treasure of enormous size. What he got was a wrecked ship full of gunpowder and clue that leads to a treasure map – a map that just happens to be on the back of the most valuable piece of parchment in America. Thinking Benjamin is out of the picture, Ian and his group of minions go to Washington to steal the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin tells the Bureau (FBI) and Homeland Security about the looming theft but they brush him off. Slim options available, Benjamin and Riley decide to steal the Declaration before Ian can get his grubby little hands on the document. The snatch and grab job is executed to perfection, the gunshots notwithstanding. The only thing that would kick the scene up a notch is Hudson Hawk moseying on by singing about “carrying moonbeams home in a jar.”
Needing a third member to complete the trifecta, a curious National Archivist Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), decides to help them solve the mystery. But first she has to pass the strangest of initiations; she has to survive a car chase. In one lane is a red shiny van. In the other is a catering truck. Not much of a goose chase if you ask me. A high-octane thrill ride is only as good as the vehicles involved.
Nicolas Cage has proven himself to be Jerry Bruckheimer’s go to guy for years. Sean Penn may blast him for leaving Las Vegas and ending up in Alcatraz, but it only proves that Cage can branch out. Remember, this is the same guy who stole a package of Huggies with some pantyhose on his head.
National Treasure is the fourth Bruckheimer/Cage collaboration. The reason this pairing works so well is because Cage is an average Joe with a number of different skills. So far we have seen him diffuse missiles, speak with a bad Alabamian accent and hotwire some choice cars.
As treasure seeker Benjamin Gates, Nicolas Cage doesn’t wear a Stetson hat or shoot a gun or play with a whip. He would rather use his wits than break a sweat. In this cat and mouse game intellect is a valuable resource. Better to have your opponents running in circles instead of being hot on your tail.
From a popcorn flick standpoint National Treasure hits all the right notes. Stealing the Declaration is a nice caper moment. And it’s vital to have goose chases with characters hanging from broken stairs and jumping rifts. Then there’s Justin Bartha as the annoying second fiddle. Each time I see him I wonder if Topher Grace ever got a copy of the script.
Jon Turteltaub does an admirable job sitting behind the camera. What’s most impressive is that Turteltaub primarily directs romantic comedies. But instead of being a fish out of water, this director worked side-by-side with Bruckheimer to get accustomed to making an action-oriented family movie. That’s right. By all accounts National Treasure is fun for the whole family. A nice diversion on a Saturday afternoon.
Score: 6/10
The DVD:
VIDEO: How does it look?
This home video release has a very nice video transfer. The movie looks crisp and the colors are elegant. No spots in the print or any video effect issues. National Treasure has its theatrical widescreen viewing presentation (2.35:1) and it is enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions.
Score: 9/10
AUDIO: How does it sound?
Buena Vista has included Dolby Digital 5.1 in English and French. The audio track works for the most part. Nice surround sound when listening to explosions, car chases, or creaking termite-infested boards.
Score: 8/10
SPECIAL FEATURES: Sneak peeks, deleted scenes, and other featurettes!!
The extras on this release are special. They are so special that it’s required to unlock puzzles to see them all. It’s not as extensive as say the two-disc special edition for Memento, but it is cool, nonetheless.
Starting at the menu screen and clicking on the sneak peeks icon, you will find trailers and teasers for Herbie: Fully Loaded, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Tarzan II, The Pacifier, Scrubs: Season One, Sacred Planet, America’s Heart and Soul, and Alias.
The icon marked “Bonus Treasure Hunt” contains the rest of the special features for National Treasure. Up first in an on location featurette running 11 minutes. It is a simplistic behind-the-scenes on-the-set feature. Topics include how they blew up the shipwrecked Charlotte, filming the car chase sequence, and the CGI effects used in making the film.
After an introduction by Jon Turteltaub watch the opening scene animatic to see a working computer animated sequence of how the opening could have looked.
There are three deleted scenes that can be viewed with or without the director’s comments. One of the deleted scenes is an alternate ending which is pretty good. It’s not a throwaway ending like we’ve seen for so many other movies. The ending works but it makes the mistake of trying to set up a sequel. The test audiences did not like this at all.
Make sure to have a pencil and paper ready as you watch the extras. Why? Well, because after each extra you will be given two letters. Once you have reached the end, a graphic appears and tells you to rearrange the letters to form a word. If you correctly answer the word jumble you are treated to more extras.
The featurette Treasure Hunters Revealed focuses on a few real-life explorers. One such treasure-seeking group, Mel Fisher Enterprises, looks for fortune and glory out in the Pacific Ocean.
The Templar Knights is a small piece that explores the historical accuracy of the Knights, the Masons and the ancient treasure.
Riley Poole’s Decode This is an educational feature where you can learn about hieroglyphics and cryptography. What’s neat about this feature is you get to solve puzzles after each lesson.
Rounding out the extras on this DVD is a plug from Verizon Wireless.
Overall, there isn’t much to see or hear from watching the extras on the National Treasure DVD. Those looking for a wealth of filmmaking knowledge should go somewhere else. Those who have an hour or so to kill, though, may enjoy the featurettes and puzzles.
Score: 4/10
