If you're interested in taking a crash course in American government or following a drawn-out, somewhat predictable adventure to find lost booty, National Treasure will deliver. Although this Disney movie is action-packed, it has many low points in between. The motivation of the characters is often unclear because they seem to change what they want as easily as a chameleon changes its color. Although the movie seems to have been intended for a young audience, its heavy use of historical documents and landmarks makes it inaccessible to the average child.
Nicolas Cage plays Ben Gates, a somewhat crazed history buff and inheritor of a family legacy that claims to have a clue to the biggest treasure ever buried. After Gates and his team discover a pipe containing a riddle in a wrecked ship uncovered at the Arctic Circle, they are determined to steal the Declaration of Independence, which supposedly contains an invisible treasure map on the back. Gates opposes stealing the map, but believes that he will be protecting it. He has surprisingly little trouble accomplishing this task with his computer-savvy sidekick Riley Poole (Justin Bartha). He slips easily through the back door of the National Archives building with a fake I.D. and manages not to encounter a single guard. On the way, he meets Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), a National Archives conservator, who he takes along as a kind of hostage.
She proves to be a match of wits for Gates, who finds her historical knowledge sexy. Although she works for the government, her opposition to Gates pouring lemon juice on the back of the Declaration of Independence because of a hunch does not last very long and soon she is joining in herself, her former feistiness having suddenly diminished. Although Kruger, who is German, is known for her stellar performance in Troy, she comes off as too docile and complacent to be admired or taken seriously for the way she behaves. Poole plays the stereotypical sidekick, whose main role in the movie is to provide comic relief. On occasion, he achieves this through his ignorance about everything historical, such as when he hugs an Egyptian statue at the end. However, he redeems himself by suddenly remembering that daylight savings time had not been invented in the 1800s at a crucial turning point, which seems contrived.
The search leads the group of three, along with their enemies, to D.C., Philadelphia, and finally New York City, with both the FBI and Howe's gang following closely behind. Gates' father, who is skeptical of the whole search, joins them later on as Howe's hostage. The movie contains several moments of reflection, such as the visit to Gates' father's house and the discovery of spectacles designed by Benjamin Franklin found behind a brick near Independence Hall, which are needed to see one of the clues. These moments make the race for time seem somewhat ridiculous and provide an overdose of sentimentality.
Cage acquires everything he desires too easily in the movie: the Declaration of Independence, the girl, his father's respect and imminent fame. The movie seems to emphasize the fact that he is deserving of the treasure as a way to justify his often split-second decisions. Cage's facial expression, an intense scowl, remains the same throughout the entire movie, which closes off his character to the audience. His previous roles in movies such as Adaptation and The Family Man better demonstrate his ability to convincingly portray a character's emotions.
The use of symbolism from Freemasonry provides an intriguing but underdeveloped side plot. The notion of members of the Free Masons, including some of the Founding Fathers, leaving clues across the East Coast and beyond, is compelling enough to keep the plot rolling, but the way that Gates is able to piece everything together so quickly seems to defeat the purpose of the painstaking efforts the men went to in order to conceal the clues. Perhaps Gates' capability alludes to the idea that Gates was the person meant to discover the treasure. His skills in recognizing the significance of the symbolism on a one hundred dollar bill makes him a little too smart, as well as quirky. The use of historical artifacts in a present day context provides a somewhat clever twist on modern adventure movies, but by no means compares to classics like the Indiana Jones trilogy.
The movie could also benefit from a more mysterious title. Would any true Disney movie not deliver its promise of a happy ending -- Gates finding the treasure? Regardless, National Treasure has been a huge hit, taking in $33.1 million on the way to a number one showing at the Thanksgiving box office. If you don't mind a predictable story and some weak acting, National Treasure may be worth its weight in gold.
