Endless adventure indeed!

Rating: 8/10 (2 July 2006)

I realised that this movie was released two years back. The freaky thing is that, Dan Brown's Angels & Demons came out on in 2001. I have to admit only after reading that book recently, I then only know about the Illuminanti and the Masons. Those two groups were mentioned in that book.
So imagine I was gasping away when those various references to the Masons showed up as I saw this movie on the cable. I am do aware of the Mason's probable role which led to the independence of the USA, because that mention first came out on Angels & Demons. I knew it was somewhere in there. The Knights Templar mention in this movie also almost got me gasping because to admit again, I am only aware of that after reading - The Da Vinci Code. Yes.
So, this movie first started in the year of 1974 and a young Benjamin Franklin Gates accidentally found something which led to his grandfather John Adams Gates (Christopher Plummer) to tell him not to look at those documents. John Gates then tell the story of their ancestors' role in the founding of the independent America. But the thing is, John's grandfather's life was counted and so he only left behind a code. Clearly when Patrick Gates (Jon Voight) saw that his father is telling that to his son, he was not pleased. But that does not stop the young Ben from really finding out what was the treasure is.
Fast forward to the present day. The now adult Benjamin (Nicolas Cage) is travelling with his friends to the Arctic in hoping of searching the clue which his grandfather had told him when he was young. And when they did, Benjamin realised one of his friends Ian is also wanting to steal one of the most important documents in the history of America - The Declaration of Independence. It's what Benjamin, who is part of the famous Gates family, who wanted it first.
But there is a catch. The Declaration Of Independence is highly guarded. So this led to endless chases from the police and even the friend who turned against Benjamin - Ian. With the help of Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), Benjamin and everyone else included (even the father Patrick eventually) started to search from one clue to another, bringing them to various places throughout the country.
The endless adventure and non-stop fun and history (I am a little history buff at times) were what left me enthralled and speechless. Almost something like out of The Da Vinci Code (that book came out in 2003) but not really the case, it almost left me breathless. Maybe given I did read Angels & Demons and it's where I only began to know about the real existence of the Masons, whatever this movie might had mentioned, it always brought me back to the time when I read that book.
Adventure is the key to this movie and if anyone likes it, it's a good recommendation.