National Treasure (2004) is a movie that nearly everyone I know thoroughly enjoys. So can someone help me understand a 46% from critics and 76% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes? I truly don't understand. I intend to prove it's a fun movie that should be watched! Read now...
Ben Gates is a modern treasure hunter with a love for history. He is in a race against overwhelming odds to find the world's greatest treasures before it falls into the wrong hands.
Nicolas Cage has somewhat of a bad rap these days even though he still offers quality performances including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (review here). Back in 2004, Cage was still an A-lister, and he gives an A-lister presentation here. It's a performance that stands out to me as the best treasurer hunter role behind Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones of course.
Some dissenters of this movie call the plot "improbable". Who cares?!? Are any of the movies in the Indiana Jones franchise probable? Are any of the plots probable in the popular Uncharted video game franchise or Tomb Raider? That assessment is stupid to even bring up. A treasure hunter film needs to be full of danger, twists, and turns. None of that risk would be worth it without an epic payoff of treasure.
I happen to believe this particular plot is unique. It involves a lot of American history with the founding fathers. We get to see American relics used including the Liberty Bell in Pennslyvania and even one of our dollar bills. The biggest of them all is our nation's founding document. Most of us have heard the line "I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence." You may also have seen some memes in the past from this movie during government shutdowns. Anyways, that scene where he does steal it is epic. Everything else you could want from this movie exists including clues hidden in bricks, special glasses, concealed writing on documents, bad guys chasing you, government officials chasing you, the sidekick, the love interest and much more.
I fancy analyzing and appreciating actors in movies, and this film is no exception. Riley, played by Justin Bartha, is perfect as the friend/sidekick. I'm surprised he hasn't done much since this movie. Another to mention is Diane Kruger as Abigail. She plays the role straight, and it works effectively. She's commanding and quickly adapts to the treasure hunt chase.
Also, I need to mention Jon Voight as Patrick Gates. He's a retired treasure hunter himself and has given up those ambitions. Last but not least is Sean Beans' performance as the antagonist Ian. You may know him from such a role as Boromir in Lord of the Rings. He's intimidating and a real threat to the Gates.
National Treasure is a fun film with great acting, editing and production design for a fun adventure thriller. My movie rating is an A.
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