Carmen sandigeo anyone? - National Treasure Reviews

Do anybody remember playing the extremely educating educational caper from Broderbund?s Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? or it?s American counterpart? Hmm? Its where you are given clues and tidbits that are scattered all around the globe or in America, where its directed to do two things, either to find out where the next destination is or who is the criminal you are trying to catch. This is only possible with a Fodor?s guidebook and your trusty brain as your arsenal to solve the mission. An Atlas wouldn?t hurt either. You are wondering why I am being so nostalgic right now, taking about an outdated computer game.... Basically this is what National Treasure is in a nutshell. Instead of hopping around United States of America finding clues in searching for a criminal, we are given clues as we are hopping around United States of America to find hidden treasure. Honestly, its like Carman Sandeigo translated to film. The Founding Fathers were not only leaders, countrymen and politicians, yet in their own way there were pirates. (Arr!) These prestigious men have concealed a vast treasure than spans for generations before it was bestowed on them. Thus to assure secrecy, they placed markers that are only known to them and to them alone. Successfully, this treasure haven?t been touched 2000 years since... Benjamin Franklin Gates, (Nicolas Cage: Jerry Bruckheimer?s typical everyman) is the latest in line of treasure hunters. He takes up the mantle after his grandfather John Adams Gates, (Christopher Plummer) instilled the legend of the treasure when he was a young whelp. Ben?s father Patrick Gates, (Jon Voight) a naysayer of sort, thinks this ?legend? is all just all a bunch of hooey and would not change his mind otherwise. The thing is all treasures must have a map. Oh Sure, there is a map alright for the treasure.... its on the back of the Declaration of Independence. When Ben?s relations go sour with once business partner now rival Ian, (Sean Bean) he turns to Abigal Chase (Diane Kruger) to explain his ?situation...? Even though National Treasure is entertaining for the allotted time, Jon Turteltaub treats his audience like were are one a city tour bus with only a couple of quips thrown in for good measure, and is banking a sharp turn whenever someone questions logic either to the nature of the complex riddles (since no one but Ben will solve) or the believability of the plot. Since National Treasure seemed to akin itself with the air of films like Raiders, The Mummy (1999) and King Solomon?s Mines, I was willing to forgive that hurdle. Basically National Treasure is a fun, yet... safe, globetrotting trip around America, where you know the fact that the heros are following the clues, although its fuzzy to make out the finer details. The competition are always one step behind their trail, the FBI, lead by Harvey Keitel (channeling the everyman by-the- book cop), holding the rear with a whinny naysaying parent (again...Jon Voight) in the caboose.