Review

Review Date: 21-November-04
Spoiler Rating: Low
Juju Judgment: Just OK

National Treasure (2004)

"National Treasure," a midsummer action flick transplanted to Thanksgiving so that families can escape each other for a couple of hours, stars the wildly eclectic Nicolas Cage as a historian obsessed with finding legendary riches hidden by the Founding Fathers. His character, aptly named Benjamin Franklin Gates, possesses everything a self-respecting treasure hunter needs: a moral certainty of purpose, a cute techno-savvy sidekick (Justin Bartha), an overtly skeptical but secretly fascinated love interest (Diane Kruger), a naysaying father with bitterness to overcome (Jon Voight), and an archenemy who will stop at nothing (Sean Bean). With these players in tow, Ben pursues a series of clues from Washington DC to Philadelphia to Manhattan, using his wits and aw-shucks optimism to weather dead ends, car chases, shoot-outs, and the light-handed prosecution of the FBI (spearheaded by Harvey Keitel). The movie doesn't try to be anything more than silly, escapist entertainment (and it isn't). Even so, one could wish it had more class.

Breezy escapades of this kind are supposed to be ludicrous, but "National Treasure" abounds with absurdities. The fact that two independent groups infiltrate the National Archives in one night (making off with the United States' most famous document) doesn't inspire credulity, nor does the fact that every tourist attraction is unguarded and empty when the characters arrive. But nothing tops the scene in which Ben and his friends follow a shadow cast at the foretold hour of 2:22 p.m. without taking into account the time of year, and perfectly hit their mark. (That's luck!)

Absurdities aside, the weakest spot of "National Treasure" is its complete lack of respect for the history its protagonist claims to revere. Capitalizing on the noxious neo-patriotism that has sprung up since 9/11 (based on ignorance and wounded pride), the movie parades the Declaration of Independence, the Mall in DC, the Liberty Bell, and so on as nothing more than enjoyably familiar milestones on the road to the real symbol of America's essence: lucre. Although Ben supposedly adores his country and its past, his motivations are suspect, or at the very least fuzzy: he devotes his life to seeking the treasure even though the Founding Fathers desired it to remain concealed, he repeatedly places objects and locations of historical significance in danger, and he reaps benefits far beyond the girl, the love of his father, and the gratitude of a nation as a result. It's difficult to believe the emotion he professes upon visiting Independence Hall (after a trip to Urban Outfitters where he drops several hundreds on trendy designer merchandise); it's much easier to accept the way in which he uses a rare coin to achieve his ends by gratifying his lady friend's covetousness.

The movie does have a few pleasures, including the general likableness of its cast (particularly Bartha). Perhaps the problem is that, unlike the Egyptian icons of "The Mummy," for example, the artifacts of American history are still too young and fraught with controversy to withstand such cavalier treatment. The Founding Fathers did leave us clues that we might do well to follow, but they don't lead to the gold and statues of pillaged nations.

Copyright © 2004 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.