NATIONAL TREASURE (2004) *** Very nice Freemason propaganda splayed across a canvass of Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code, swollen and buoyed by patriotic overtures. And I mean that all in the best way. Masons have every reason to be proud of members' roles in the founding of our country, and Nicolas Cage delivers a few excellent lines illuminating what he thinks has been done to it since, and without a white flag in sight or imagination. American history is incredible, there are many many damn good reasons to be prouder than proud to be an American, and some of them are held high on display here. Not a bunch of mindless pomp and circumstance, a deeper understanding of the adventure of humanity, and how well we've played some of the big points. Templar treasures and Benjamin Franklin....those don't guarantee a fine film, and it could have gone wrong without Cage (son of Jon Voight son of Christopher Plummer, talk about regal bloodlines!) or Diane Kruger, who is beyond credible to the point of admirable as a patriotic historian with as much passion as intellect, and who could make millions in her spare time as a Levi's model. And Sean Bean is a tremendous bad guy genius, and Harvey Keitel is at least one good interpretation of who we hope still lurks somewhere near the controls at the heart of the control board of America. As a recruiting film, I think it's well targeted.
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