rra
King Koopa
Posts: 10,145
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Post by rra on Dec 23, 2007 0:49:48 GMT -5
NATIONAL TREASURE (2004) - **Years ago, I remembered when this project was in development hell for Bruckheimer, and when it had a nice premise: Modern treasure hunters find out about the lost and buried "National Treasure" gold of the Founding Fathers, used during the American Revolution to help bankroll the successful insurgency against the British. Simple but interesting. Then comes THE DA VINCI CODE, and NATIONAL TREASURE gets greenlighted with a more complicated goof-up: That same American gold was simply part of, and belongs to thousands of years worth of treasure accumulated by the Knights Templar and the Masons or whatever stupid nonsense. I could ask futile questions of how such great treasure cared for then promptly was forgotten and lost deep down below New York City, or the 3-D hologram on the back of the Declaration of Independence, or of the foreign policy implications of returning prized items to countries and kingdoms that don't exist anymore. Do the contents of the Library of Alexandria go to Egypt or to Greece? Which artifacts were Roman and are outright American? All this mess would take decades to settle, by which time the finders themselves become too old and senile to fully reap the financial windfall. Now some of you will write of how hypocritical I am in that I gave a positive review to an equally outlandish fortune & glory-seeking popcorn picture in SAHARA, which is a fair point, since that movie had the sillyness of an assault helicopter taken down by a 19th century cannonball. The difference though is simple. One, I bought Matthew McConaughey and Steve Zahn as adventurers and their good chemistry as partners who've had many adventures before, and would have many more after SAHARA. Second, the treasure premise is a macguffin to get the heroes involved with the realplot. Third, I enjoyed it in spite of the insanity. I can't say the same for NATIONAL TREASURE. I've written before how I have never bought Nicholas Cage as an action figure, and that continues with NATIONAL TREASURE. But now, a historian? Maybe of Superman comics, but of American History? Yeah right, and I also buy Tom Cruise as a sane psychiatrist. Then there is the fact of how the dynamics is pretty funny, with the very English Sean Bean being the dastardly villain going after the precious yankee document that is the Declaration of Independence. I know this worked with the Nazis trying to capture the Jewish Ark of the Covenant in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, but this is ridiculous. Then again, it could be worse...he could have been French. I wanted to enjoy NATIONAL TREASURE as a popcorn action ticket, but the little stuff rolled up into a giant ball of mediocrity. There is Cage's sidekick who is pretty damn useless save for the one-liners. The ancient ice-trapped ship that explodes as a very nice orange fireball(!) and the father of the hero who doubts the existence of the treasure because the script says so. Oh and how can I forget about the ancient wooden staircases and platforms that still operated in spite of the termites and natural decay? Certainly the basis for a nice fun picture is there, with Jon Turtletaub's competent direction, but like 1408 earlier this year, the movie suffers because the plot is too over-developed for its own good. Plus, I have pet peeves with pictures that alot of great actors involved, but they're wasted by doing nothing. If you have the likes of Christopher Plummer, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Voight, milk them for their worth. Then again, Jerry Bruckheimer isn't loved in Hollywood for the quality of his productions. I'll give the man respect in that he sure knows how to make assloads of cash year after year. Now that's a real treasure chest right there.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2007 1:08:57 GMT -5
My rule for movies you review is to give them at least 1 star more than you did.
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rra
King Koopa
Posts: 10,145
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Post by rra on Dec 23, 2007 1:11:58 GMT -5
My rule for movies you review is to give them at least 1 star more than you did. So you like GHOST RIDER?
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Post by i.Sarita.com on Dec 23, 2007 1:13:06 GMT -5
A buddy of mine in my unit was a Key Grip on that film
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rra
King Koopa
Posts: 10,145
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Post by rra on Dec 23, 2007 1:16:30 GMT -5
A buddy of mine in my unit was a Key Grip on that film Now that's awesome. Plus, he's got endurance. I mean, imagine all the hours it takes for him to have to work his job while Nic Cage is trying to act "cool." Your pal is a badass, my good sir.
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Post by samachine on Dec 23, 2007 1:17:59 GMT -5
I liked that movie, well.. I would've liked it if it got rid of Cage's little buddies
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Post by Panda Bear on Dec 23, 2007 1:26:09 GMT -5
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rra
King Koopa
Posts: 10,145
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Post by rra on Dec 23, 2007 1:27:32 GMT -5
Hilarious. You OWNED me for this moment!
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Post by Panda Bear on Dec 23, 2007 1:32:30 GMT -5
Hilarious. You OWNED me for this moment! You can pretty much choose any Nic. Cage movie from Adaptation on and It will be Mediocore or Bad, Wickerman is just the worse.
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Post by Stu on Dec 23, 2007 1:44:07 GMT -5
I enjoyed National Treasure. Sure, it got confusing at times, but it's still a fun movie. I suppose I'm just a mystery buff.
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Post by i.Sarita.com on Dec 23, 2007 1:45:39 GMT -5
A buddy of mine in my unit was a Key Grip on that film Now that's awesome. Plus, he's got endurance. I mean, imagine all the hours it takes for him to have to work his job while Nic Cage is trying to act "cool." Your pal is a badass, my good sir. Yeah, he quit working in Hollywood to become an Army Ranger because he saw something about them on the History channel...
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Post by Jason Todd Grisham on Dec 23, 2007 2:41:20 GMT -5
HOWDITGITBURND!
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HRH The KING
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
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Post by HRH The KING on Dec 23, 2007 5:48:17 GMT -5
My lady recommended this movie to me. I watched it and enjoyed it.
Look forward to seeing the sequel.
Nicholas Cage is cool.
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Post by Big Daddy Bad Booking on Dec 23, 2007 15:25:07 GMT -5
My rule for movies you review is to give them at least 1 star more than you did. How can Die Hard be a 6?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2007 15:39:11 GMT -5
My rule for movies you review is to give them at least 1 star more than you did. How can Die Hard be a 6? Uh...because of this line: "Now...I have a machine gun. Ho...ho...ho."
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Matt Rogers
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member is currently offline <stalking Emma Watson>
Omae wa mo shindeiru.
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Post by Matt Rogers on Dec 23, 2007 15:42:49 GMT -5
God almighty, that is horrendous. Also, Diane Kruger = Hawt to a crazy degree. And Sean Bean with mullet = Liquid Snake.
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The Raven
Hank Scorpio
Where The Raven flies, there's Jeopardy!: Sports Edition
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Post by The Raven on Dec 23, 2007 17:47:04 GMT -5
Awww, I liked National Treasure.
Went to see the sequel today, it was more of the same.
Dumb fun. Which is what the movies are all about.
And yeah, Sean Bean is Liquid Snake.
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Post by 'Foretold' Joker on Dec 23, 2007 17:57:05 GMT -5
National Treasure is like Wild Wild West. Stupid, badly plotted but easy to watch on a sunday/saturday evening if you have nothing better to do. I'd give it 3 stars as there are far worse films out there.
Although I have to disagree on your point that Nicholas Cage is not an action hero type guy. The main majority of the films he makes are action orientated, involve guns or saving the day.
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Post by DSR on Dec 23, 2007 22:59:01 GMT -5
National Treasure is like Wild Wild West. Stupid, badly plotted but easy to watch on a sunday/saturday evening if you have nothing better to do. I'd give it 3 stars as there are far worse films out there. Although I have to disagree on your point that Nicholas Cage is not an action hero type guy. The main majority of the films he makes are action orientated, involve guns or saving the day. a.) RRA's point is not that Cage isn't an action guy because of the movies he does. His point is that Cage isn't an action guy because he seems out of place in those movies. b.) Having just made RRA's point for him, I must now disagree with it. I have a great time seeing Nicholas Cage movies. When I saw the previews for National Treasure, I thought it looked retarded. When I actually saw the movie, I found myself wrapped up in the whole thing. I dug it. Can't wait to see "Book of Secrets."
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rra
King Koopa
Posts: 10,145
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Post by rra on Dec 23, 2007 23:12:45 GMT -5
Awww, I liked National Treasure. Went to see the sequel today, it was more of the same. Dumb fun. Which is what the movies are all about. And yeah, Sean Bean is Liquid Snake. There is dumb fun, and then there is dumb fun as an excuse for mediocrity. You want a real dumb fun picture? Rent SHOOT' EM UP after the New Year or even dig up BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.
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