Re: "National Treasure"
Originally posted by CinemaddictionI personally thought that the movie was great and just about everything you mentioned was right on. I do however would like to add this wouldn’t be a movie to take the kids to see, more of a grownup movie. The adventure was great but there were moments that would be boring to kids under 15.
To new generation relic hunter, Ben Gates (Cage), the only thing more valuable to him than treasure, was erasing his families legacy of failure. He and his partner Ian (Bean) come to the realization that in order to find this lost bounty, they need a map. That map? The Declaration of Independence. Like any heist, when the stakes are raised, it becomes every man for himself. The hunt is on.Upon leaving the theater, I said "This is what Tomb Raider" should have been like. It was exciting, humorous, very fast paced heist filled fun. No high flying wire work, bad accents, or killer robots. Nic Cage was cunning in his portrayal of a rare character in heist movies. One that isn't looking to benefit from the treasure, but for from rewriting his family's history, with admirable, yet backhanded patriotism. Justin Bartha as Riley played the Disney family friendly comic relief, Diane Kruger was cast as the female equivalent of Gates, except a lot more attractive, all while Sean Bean brought a shady, Boromir-esque presence to the role of Ian.
It was refreshing to see a big job movie that didn't contain the heist movie cliches. Gunplay was minimal, and money wasn't even a motivator. Talk about a rarity in the genre! A truly unique, effective, and involving storyline with a pinch of patriotism and redemption. "National Treasure" is indeed a treasure in its own right, and it's swift 2 hours well spent, IMO.