The National Treasure--- Discover… take pleasure, but don’t treasure!

Title:
National Treasure (B+)
PH Release Date:
November 24, 2004
Actors:
Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jason Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Plummer
Director:
Jon Turteltaub
Story & Screenplay:
Ted Elliott, Teri Rossio et al.
Cinematographer:
Caleb Deschanel
Composer:
Trevor Rabin
Producer:
Jerry Bruckheimer, Jon Turteltaub and Christina Steinberg
Studio:
Walt Disney

It is the greatest treasure of our time, well, their time; ours will be the likes of Mystica and Madam Auring…extremely rare tour

The first time I saw the trailer of this movie, I thought Jerry Bruckheimer seemed to be losing his ability to choose the right project to finance. After the disappointing returns of King Arthur, he chose an obsolete formula and an odd actor to play the lead. I mean, c’mon, who’s gonna watch Nicolas Cage try to unearth some stupid treasure that we already know he’ll locate at the end of the movie? That’s like asking Paris Hilton to play a Sissy Spacek role. Just doesn’t fit! Alas, he proved me wrong (damn him!). As of this writing, the movie earned a little more than $132M. That’s way more than I projected. I guess sometimes, what you think of others may not be right. So believe me when I say that Madam Auring really had a miscarriage at the age of 112 (my fascination with the woman really shows and it is sickening!!!!)

Benjamin Gates (Cage) has been given the challenge to find the greatest treasure their family has been trying to discover for decades. The clue that they thought would bring them right to the treasure was just the first clue to a wide variety awaiting them in their journey. He’ll uncover the hidden hints situated in some of the significant places and articles in the history of the US. Will he be able to find the treasure before his ex huntmate on his trail get there first? Or will the FBI get to him first? (Don’t act as if you don’t know what’s going to happen!)

The best word to describe this movie is amusing. It is not interesting but it’s enjoyable. It’s predictable and at times corny, but you get pleasure from those silly jokes and scenes. It’s a formula treasure-hunting movie! Jon Turteltaub did and gave nothing innovative. It was like a collaboration of different old action movie scenes, a little bit of asinine comedy and a regular dose of moviemaking.

This movie is anything but unique. It offered nothing new. Cage acts as the lead character. He’s smart, not fat and in his mid-life crisis. He also have to appear as if he never dates, in that way, after he rub elbows with the leading lady, the utcome is justified. This lead character must have his right-hand with the heartthrob looks that matches his quirky personality and he’s also gotta be very good with computers or at times guns and explosives. Then of course, the hot looking urbane woman to play the overachiever damsel in distress. The antagonist must be some rich bastard, willing to do anything to get the treasure… and this time he’s British. And lastly, the compassionate police officer who’ll catch the protagonist eventually, but let him slide in the end.

Directing is nothing special. The pacing though was very good, they make it a point that in each scene, the audience will laugh or be excited. What made the movie a little smart is that it ensures that you have no time to think things through. They won’t allow you to stop for awhile. They were able to achieve that for more than 2 hours. If not for that, this movie would have slumped.

I used to hate (oh, it’s such a sturdy word, let’s try despise) Nicolas Cage until Adaptation and Matchstick men, simply because I don’t like the way he looks. He gives the impression of being like a member of the Simpsons or some near cousin of Spongebob. It’s a good thing Dian Kruger and Jason Bartha were there to serve as eye-candies. Nothing much to ponder with when it comes to the acting. Let’s just say it’s not the movie with the most challenging roles an actor can encounter.

The ending of the movie ain’t surprising at all but there was part in there that I found good. Won’t spoil it but let’s just say theer was no duel or fist combat. It’s a fun movie that will allow you to not be a viewer but a tourist. It’s formula, but it’s right down the money. Better viewed with friends or a date. It’s not something to value but it’s something to talk about.