Some movies are meant to entertain, not intellectually enlighten

Rating: Null/10 (19 November 2004)

If you're planning on seeing National Treasure then please do me a favor right now. Get a pen and paper. What? Yes, a pencil is fine. Ready? All right, now write "plausibility" on the paper. Done? Good. Now go find a window and open it. I'll wait. Got it? Cool, now throw that piece of paper out the window. Done? Excellent, now you're ready to enjoy the movie.
This is a movie meant to be enjoyed with a big tub of popcorn in your lap, not picked apart and overanalyzed under a microscope. Is it pretty implausible? Of course! It's a movie that focuses on the theft of the Declaration of Independence! What were you expecting, an episode of National Geographic? But what I like is the movie's self-awareness and mockery of its implausibility. One of my favorite scenes is when Ben and Riley are trying to explain to Diane Kruger's character that they think there's an invisible map on the back of the Declaration.
The scene works perfectly because Ben gives as little information as possible and is reluctant when Kruger pushes for more info. He knows just how silly she's gonna think this is. It feels as if he's trying to explain himself to skeptical members of the movie audience. On a personal note, I'm still waiting for an explanation regarding Snake Eyes. Come on, Nick, you at least owe me that!
National Treasure serves as a reminder of why I used to be a big Nicolas Cage fan. A reminder of why Face/Off, Con Air, and The Rock adorn my DVD shelf. Cage is at his sarcastic and charismatic best. And Bartha does a great job as Cage's sidekick. Not only is he funny, but he also makes himself an honest and believable character by questioning Cage and some of his outlandish theories and ideas. I'm just sad there wasn't a scene where he questioned him about the whole Lisa Marie Presley fiasco. Perhaps the clues can be found in the Jungle Room? *Johnny pats himself on the back for this clever reference to Graceland while readers not familiar with Elvis just shake their heads*
This is the mix of humor and action that Joe Moviegoer has come to expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer/Cage collaboration. But don't discount the story. Obviously it doesn't stack up with the likes of Memento, but for a movie that's bound to be labeled a "dumb action flick" it's actually pretty good, providing just enough mystery and twists to keep my interest. There are also little bits of history trivia dropped here and there (such as the clue that dealt with the history of Daylight Savings Time) that add a nice touch.
I've always liked movies that have clues that need to be pieced together, so I enjoyed following along with Cage and Co. as they chased the clues - clues on dollar bills, the clues on the back of the Declaration, etc. In fact, I wish the movie had focused more on the treasure hunt. If some of the chase scenes had to be sacrificed, then so be it. I still enjoyed the chase scenes, but it was the actual sleuthing that pulled me into the story and held my interest.
Will it hold everybody's interest? No. My cousin said he fell asleep during the first 20 minutes. He tried to redeem himself and said he really enjoyed the second half of the movie, but everybody around him (who all seemed to enjoy the movie) started to beat on him because of his comments. So yeah, there'll be plenty of people who don't like National Treasure. Big surprise. I can already hear them accusing me of being a studio shill for writing a positive review. Ah well. You'll have to forgive me for enjoying a movie whose main purpose is entertainment, not intellectual enlightenment.
Oscar can keep Leaving Las Vegas, and I'll take National Treasure. Congratulations Nick, I now forgive you for Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
THE GIST
The formula is pretty simple. Have you enjoyed the previous Bruckheimer/Cage collaborations? If you answer "yes," then you'll probably enjoy National Treasure. If you answer "no," then either don't go see the movie or don't cry about it afterwards. I know that's asking a lot. But in general, if you're looking for a November movie that has a "summer movie" feel, and you like Nicolas Cage's brand of sarcastic wit, then National Treasure will entertain.
Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)