 January
2005
This month's review:
National Treasure
Family Friendly
Looking for a family-friendly movie to see during these cold
winter nights? You won’t go wrong with National Treasure.
On the face of it, the film seems like a straightforward and
enjoyable action feature, certainly appropriate for a Christian
audience. It’s not without controversy, however.
Have you ever really looked at the back side of a dollar bill and
wondered what the pyramid and the all-seeing eye on top of it mean?
This and other mysteries from American history form the backdrop of
National Treasure. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the
plot, which must remain skimpy lest too much of the story be given
away. Nicolas Cage stars as an archeologist who is searching for
clues to find a vast “national treasure” hidden somewhere in
America. The first clue is reported to be on the back of the
Declaration of Independence, so of course Cage and his sidekicks
have to “borrow” that document to locate the clue. Sound
preposterous? It is, but somehow the movie works. The trouble is,
each discovered clue just leads to the next clue, so Cage and
friends don’t have an easy time of it. I won’t reveal what the
treasure is.
Here’s the controversy: The film’s storyline leans heavily
on actions of the Freemasons, whose historical members include
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and 11 other signers of the
Declaration of Independence. There’s an ongoing controversy as to
whether Freemasons are basically Christian or anti-Christian. The
film takes a pro view, portraying them as essentially benign figures
who act morally and engage in positive causes. Others weigh in on
the sinister side. Christian author Michael Phillips, for example,
takes Freemasons to task in his novels A Rift in Time and
Hidden in Time. A visit to Google or Ask Jeeves will show you
just how much has been written on both sides of the question.
Positives:
Acting: Quite accomplished throughout. Nicolas Cage gives
one of his uniquely quirky performances. John Voight and Christopher
Plummer are effective.
Tension: Lots of it. The bad guys are constantly on the tail
of Cage and his friends. It can get pretty excruciating.
Speed: One of the best things about National Treasure
is that it never slows down, never drags.
Values and Language: Cage and the other good guys act
unselfishly and do the right thing. There’s no bad language or
sexual innuendo.
History: The movie is a great history lesson. It’s chock full
of interestingly contextualized facts and events about American
history.
Negatives:
Only one, really. A strength of movies of this type is
they allow the director to play an engaging game with the audience
by throwing in red herrings and testing the attention and
perspicacity of the viewer. That’s absent here, since each unearthed
clue simply leads to the next clue. There’s no chance for the viewer
to figure out what’s really happening.
Nonetheless:
National Treasure is worth seeing. Besides being
entertaining, it can teach you something and pique your curiosity
about the Freemason issue.
Rating: 3
stars
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Index of movie
reviews...
(2003 reviews through present)
Jay Maurer, a member of West Side Presbyterian Church, is
a long-term movie buff and former college teacher of The Film as
Literature. He has written movie reviews for The Good News
(West Side newsletter) since 2002.
If you have comments or questions
about the movie (or play) reviews, please contact Jay at
dramachap@msn.com.
Ratings are expressed in
increments of ¼ star.
A rating of 2 ½ stars or higher is meant to be a recommendation.
1 star: poor
2 stars: minimally satisfactory
3 stars: quite good
4 stars: superb
Criteria for determining the ratings:
- Reflection, either explicit or implicit, of Christian values,
including suitability of language and lack of gratuitous violence
- Quality of the acting
- Originality
- Unity of the entire picture
- Substance, or in the words of C.S. Lewis, weight
Other Christian movie review Web sites:
Plugged In Online
ChristianityTodayMovies.com
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