ACED Magazine

Rated: PG
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight
Directed by: Jon Turteltaub

Synopsis: From Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of Pirates of the Caribbean, and Jon Turteltaub, director of Phenomenon, comes National Treasure. It's the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat adventure starring Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates.

Ever since he was a boy, Gates has been obsessed with finding the legendary Knights Templar Treasure, the greatest fortune known to man. As Gates tries to find and decipher ancient riddles that will lead him to it, he's dogged by a ruthless enemy (Sean Bean, The Lord of the Rings trilogy), who wants the riches for himself.

Now in a race against time, Gates must steal one of America's most sacred and guarded documents--the Declaration of Independence--or let it, and a key clue to the mystery, fall into dangerous hands. Heart-pounding chases, close calls, and the FBI turn Gates' quest into a high-stakes crime caper and the most exciting treasure hunt you've ever experienced.

DVD Features:

Disc One:

• Multilevel Treasure Hunt
• Alternate Ending with Optional Director's Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scenes with Optional Director's Audio Commentary
• Opening Scene Animatic with Optional Director's Audio Commentary
• Featurette: "National Treasure on Location"
• Featurette: "The Knights Templar"
• Featurette: "Treasure Hunters Revealed"
• Featurette: "Riley's Decode This! Plus Three Puzzling Challenges"

Disc Two:

• Additional Deleted Scenes with introductions by Director Jon Turteltaub
• Featurette: "Ciphers, Codes and Codebreakers"
• Featurette: "On the Set of American History"
• Featurette: "To Steal a National Treasure"
• Featurette: "Exploding Charlotte"

Critique:

With the sequel to this film, National Treasure Book of Secrets, out in theaters now (and at the top of the box office), is it any wonder a collector's edition of the first release would be timed perfectly?

This is a film the entire family can enjoy. It has fun twists and turns throughout, but nothing extreme or intricate to keep it from being predictable.  It works because Cage and Bartha make it work.  You care about their characters, and because you do, they suck you into the story.  

While the story itself may not be grandiose, it's simplicity allows the younger viewers to follow along without any confusion...and manages not to bore the older crowd as well.   

Entertaining throughout, National Treasure is a nice little movie to lift the spirits.  The DVD extras in the Collector's Edition feature over 36 minutes of additional goodies.  You will be busy long after the film has played its final scene. 

If you haven't already purchased the DVD for this production, this is for sure the better version to grab.  You'll need this one to sit and wait in earnest for its upcoming twin, National Treasure Book of Secrets, when it comes to DVD...no doubt late this year.

This Reviewer's Rating: 4 / 5 

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