Does anyone else find the opening scene to this film a wee bit scary? Like we have this zombie like man dying in a carriage and he bestows a great secret onto Jackson from Hannah Montana, for a kids movie is that not a little dark? Oh well, no one said history was light and fluffy.
Fun fact: I have seen this film so many times that I have actually lost count. Have you ever experienced a moment of absolute insanity during a moment of severe stress? If your answer is yes then listen to this, I watched National Treasure and its sequel every day on repeat for about a month while I was taking my A-levels. There was just something about the confidence and historical value both films exuded that made me feel as if they were my lucky charm. During my month of constant anxiety I needed a safe place and these films were it for me. A side effect of this, naturally, is that not only do I have both films imprinted on my brain to relay at any given moment, but I can also recite them word for word which is a neat party trick but my family absolutely hate it. Imagine sitting down on a Sunday and the cheesy family movie on the telly is National Treasure, and there is this annoying voice speaking the exact same thing the characters are saying word for word. Yeah, I'd hate me too.
I think the truly magical thing about this entire film though, is no matter how many times you've seen it, it actually never gets old. Trust me, I am an expert. I am sitting here as I type watching the movie yet again and it's as if it was the first time even though I know exactly what is about to happen. Disney, you got it right with this one.
Can I also just congratulate Sean Bean for not dying in this one. I have no idea how so many films have got away with killing off such talent but they need to stop. I like to think this character got out of prison and went to work for Yorkshire Tea and his passion in the advert is just passion for safe history but I doubt it.
Nic Cage is one of my favourite actors, yeah he's a little wild but all the best actors are, you get results this way. Dedication to the role is something more people should appreciate, he is where he is for a reason. And just while I am on the subject of noting actors, can we give a shout out to my main demon Mark Pellegrino, Supernatural fans rejoice! Our dear Lucifer is causing havoc as an FBI agent.
Back onto the plot then, to keep it short and sweet before I get sued for writing down the entire script, Ben Gates and his friend Riley are history hunters following the trail of an aztec treasure Ben's grandfather once told him the legend of. He sets out to find it and comes across a series of clues, one of which requires a map drawn on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Now they asked really politely, and they tried to warn officials bad guys previously enlisted to help Ben and Riley (they got greedy) are out to steal the declaration, but no one listened. So they stole it themselves. So with the help of Abigail (a doctor who is tasked with protecting and restoring the declaration), they find the map, evade death by bad guys and find the treasure. Boom, happy ending. It is literally everything you want out of an adventure film involving a hunt for treasure. It's the Goonies but with high standing adults.
My favourite character out of our main trio has to be Riley Poole. He is our tech geek and has the sarcasm of an anti-hero but has a good heart. All through the film and the wild goings on he is the one who stays grounded and is 100% the most relatable person there. I think the theme overall here which I am willing to point out to you, is that history can be cool. It's not a boring subject and in some cases can lead to great discoveries.
I just love those vibes you get when watching a film like this, the anticipation of 'what's going to happen next' even though it is pretty much text book at this point. Man in a van, bad guy, fantastical adventure which could be done in real life, we all wish we could and so Disney made sure we did. The culture, the treasure hunt, ugh, I wanna.
I also feel like Nic Cage basically embodies Ben Gates permanently. He gives me an eccentric historian vibe all the time and I am so glad he was our main character. I just feel like this movie needs all the praise because it is literally everything we have ever wanted.
I'm gunna go straight to it and say National Treasure deserves an 8/10. It HAS to be a cult classic by now. Treasure hunts, theft, all around adventure. There is an adventurer in all of us, we all love a good treasure hunt and to explore somewhere unseen before, this film brings that dream to a flawless reality and yes I am a little bit bias, fight me.
Stay safe, live your life like one big adventure, and smile!
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