Rabid Nicolas Cage fans have been calling their one true God a National Treasure for over 20 years, and for good reason. Known to take on everything from Academy Award-winning roles to straight-to-DVD bargain bin fodder at WalMart, Cage has limitless, often questionable range that’s resulted in more performances than the average human can keep track of. When it comes to his family-friendly outings, the National Treasure films stand out because they blend fantasy, mystery, revisionist history, and heist tropes into pure crowd-pleasing entertainment.
Casting Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates is just icing on the cake because he commits to the premise in ways only he can.
“I’m Going To Steal The Declaration Of Independence”
2004’s National Treasure begins with a treasure hunt that escalates into a plot to steal the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives. Benjamin Franklin Gates, descended from a long line of disgraced historians and treasure hunters, believes the heavily guarded document hides a map written in invisible ink. With help from Riley (Justin Bartha), his computer-whiz sidekick, Benjamin plots the heist with good intentions.
When his shady investor Ian Howe (Sean Bean) plans to steal the document for himself, Benjamin enlists Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) to safeguard the treasure’s secrets.
Joyously Gish galloping through historical inaccuracies, National Treasure is as unrealistic as you’d expect, but it works because the cast is fully on board for the ride. Nicolas Cage downing a champagne flute in one gulp before breaking a series of federal laws is all the convincing you need to be on board.
“I’m Going To Kidnap The President”
Following the same formula but turning the volume way up, National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a carbon copy that somehow raises the stakes. This time, Benjamin sets out to clear his family’s name after a new conspiracy links them to Lincoln’s assassination. His quest leads him to a Native American city of gold, requiring break-ins at Buckingham Palace, the Oval Office, and Mount Rushmore.
Using his wit, historical know-how, and a willingness to flirt with high treason, Benjamin kidnaps the president, desecrates Pre-Columbian artifacts, and dodges the FBI. This National Treasure entry does everything the first one did, only bigger and better. If Nicolas Cage yelling “Haggis!” after sliding backwards down a Buckingham Palace bannister isn’t reason enough to watch, you probably hate fun.
Both National Treasure Movies Streaming on Disney+
If you’re after educational content for kids, the National Treasure franchise misses the mark. But by channeling curiosity, logic, and puzzle-solving, it sparks just enough imagination to count as educational in spite of itself. With all the charm of Indiana Jones reimagined for modern audiences, it doesn’t get much more entertaining.
National Treasure and its sequel, Book of Secrets, are streaming now on Disney+. The 10-episode spinoff series, Edge of History, is also available on the platform.
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