NATIONAL TREASURE

"We're going to steal the Declaration of Independence"

Benjamin Franklin Gates

For generations the Gates family has been looking for a fabled treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers of the United States of America and now Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) thinks he might have cracked the only clue to its existence. The clue however leads him to the collusion that the map to the treasure is located on the back of the Declaration of Independence. This revelation means that to read the map he will have to steal one of the most closely guarded national exhibits before a rival team gets their hands on it or the FBI get wind of the planned heist.

When it comes to producing big budget popcorn movies, no one does it better than Jerry Bruckheimer but can National Treasure keep up his reputation?

As a big action spectacle that keeps you entertained for its slightly over long 131 minutes, the film definitely keeps Bruckheimer's reputation intact. Combining action, a heist, a history lesson and archaeology, National Treasure tries to be the new Indiana Jones for the 21st century. While it might not have the magic of the adventures of the man with the hat and whip, it does succeed in creating a sense of adventure and intrigue that will keep you enthralled for the duration. It is the story that draws you in. This is an intriguing and quite ingenious tale that successfully draws on America's history by incorporating the Founding Fathers and many of the country's national monuments and documents. The writers create a plausible premise by merging it with the elaborate, making the foundations of what America was built on, a scheme to hide a priceless treasure that has existed since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs. With the answer to each clue giving you another part of the puzzle, the story is revealed to you at the same time as the characters, so you are putting the pieces together at the same time as they do. This makes the movie very watchable and entertaining.

Nicolas Cage steps into the role of treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates with ease, rekindling his creative relationship with Bruckheimer that had served them so well in hits like Con Air and The Rock. This is a character that Cage can play in his sleep but he still manages to make Gates very watchable and charismatic. He makes the premise more believeable as he delivers his lines with his usual gusto, which adds to the films validity, even if the plot does feel a little far-fetched at times. Current flavour of the month Diane Kruger stars in her third mainstream Hollywood feature of 2004, after Troy and Wicker Park. The German actress has just the right look to get on in Tinseltown but she can also act as well, making Abigail Chase not just another damsel in distress. Justin Bartha gets his big break as techie Riley Poole. This is the character that provides most of the comedic lines of the piece and Bartha delivers them extremely well.

The three leads have some good support on their adventure. Sean Bean is again cast as the villain of the piece in a role that Hollywood just loves him playing. As this is a family movie, we don't get to see the cruel and vicious Sean Bean that we usually get but a man driven by greed and glory, who will do almost anything to get it. Jon Voight is also good as Ben Gates's father, Patrick, the only sceptic of the Gates clan who has seen generations of his family waste their lives looking for something he is sure that doesn't exist. Harvey Keitel is slightly wasted as FBI agent Sadusky, as he seems like he is there just to pick up a paycheque and not much else. There is also a small put noticeable cameo by the great Christopher Plummer.

National Treasure is another fine popcorn movie from Jerry Bruckheimer. This might not be life changing stuff but it is very enjoyable with a good premise and some very likeable performances that make it very good throwaway entertainment.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with of Dolby Digital 5.1, the transfer is extremely good. The crystal clear picture brings the treasure-hunting world of Benjamin Franklin Gates to life vividly on screen. The sound quality is also good as the action adventure fills the speakers.

BONUS FEATURES

National Treasure on Location (11.20 mins)
Director Jon Turteltaub, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director of photography Caleb Deschanel, production designer Norris Spencer, visual effects producer Kathy Chasen-Alay and stars Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel and Sean Bean take you on location with 'National Treasure'. The featurette takes you behind the scenes of the boat explosion, the catacombs, car chase, Washington D.C., Independence Hall and the opening sequence as the cast and crew talk about the premise, stunts and the characters of the film.

Deleted Scenes (7.51 mins)
With an introduction by director Jon Turteltaub, these two deleted scenes entitled 'Thomas and the President' and 'Extended Shaft sequence' don't really add much to the movie and you can understand why they were removed.

Opening Sequence Animatic (2.50 mins)
Watch the original design for the opening sequence in animated storyboard and basic computer animation

Alternative Ending (1.50 mins)
Watch the original ending for 'National Treasure' that wasn't quite as grandiose as the theatrical release.

Hidden Features
Solve the puzzle to unlock even more bonus features for 'National Treasure'.

Trailers
Previews of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', 'The Incredibles' and 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement'

OVERALL

For a Jerry Bruckheimer movie the amount of extras is a bit poor. The featurette and deleted scenes are too short and their isn't enough information about the treasure itself. Having to solve puzzles to open up more features is also frustrating for the viewer who just wants to watch the bonus material, making this a very average release.

DVD

Con Air

The Rock

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2004