There's something likeable about National Treasure's loopy inanity but, given The Da Vinci Code's gearing up with Ron Howard and Tom Hanks, this might soon look like the rushed-out knock-off it patently is. He is most notably known as Richard Sharpe, the titular character from the TV film adaptation, Sharpes Peril and as Boromir from The Lord of the Rings. Plus, however absurd it gets, the treasure hunt mechanic tugs on your curiosity, the set-piece to steal the Declaration Of Independence is engaging and it's tough not to root for a gang of heroes who survive on their ingenuity and passion for history rather than the internet and brute force. Sean Bean (born Apin Handsworth, England) is a British actor who plays Zeus in the film The Lightning Thief. ![]() Desite respectively playing sidekicks named Abigail Eye Candy and Rollie Thick Person Who Acts As A Surrogate For A Confused Audience (they might as well be), Diane Kruger shows more spark than she did in the 162 minutes of Troy and Justin Bartha is an affable presence, his character the obvious recipient of a probable dialogue polish that punched up the humour quotient. As for Cage, the role of an obsessive treasure hunter would seem perfect for his brand of manic energy and eccentricity, but instead he proffers sub-Harrison Fordian determination, clearly caring little for a very undercooked character. The whole tale is populated by colourless characters, be it Sean Bean's one-note Brit villian, Jon Voight as Gates' estranged father (all very Last Crusade) and Harvey Keitel who pulls his detective from the draw marked 'GRIMLY DOGGED COP'. The whole plot - and this is nothing but plot - is packed with unfocused motivations and sluggish, hamfisted exposition, while the absurd clues that propel the story are so impenetrable that you expect Nic Cage to encounter Ted Rodgers and Dusty Bin at any moment. Sean Bean as the sleazy villain Ian Howe, Harvey Keitel as. Even worse, while National Treasure shows little flair for spectacle, it shows less for yarnspinning. But Nic Cage can help you escape the reality of this Independence Day. Surprisingly for a Bruckheimer biggie, the action, ranging from a by-numbers van chase to a desultory climax involving a collapsing staircase in a New York catacomb, defines run of the mill. Caught uncomfortably between a kiddie adventure and a grown-up conspiracy thriller, it lacks the thrills for the latter and the smarts for the former, delivering a hokey, only vaguely fun romp. In completely visible ink, written upside-down near the bottom of the document, reads, "Original Declaration of Independence, dated 4th July 1776." Why? Because before it was placed behind bullet-proof titanium at the National Archives Building, it was rolled up and carried around by the Second Continental Congress, with the text working as a label.Being the first flick to draw on the fervour for Da Vinci Code-style ancient-history detective stories and the second Bruckheimer production (after Pirates Of The Caribbean) to deliver a PG booty trawl, National Treasure feels like a compromise. The first film's central conceit, that there's a secret treasure map printed on the back of the Declaration of Independence, is pretty far-fetched, but that doesn't mean there's nothing written on the back of the all-important American document. to audaciously steal the Declaration of Independence to save it from his nemesis (Sean Bean). National Treasure opened across North America on November 19th. ![]() ![]() "I think it was some Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC and some Sex Pistols."Ĥ. Modern treasure hunters, led by archaeologist Ben Gates. In a race against time, Gates must elude the authorities, stay one step ahead of his ruthless adversary (Sean Bean), decipher the remaining clues and unlock the 2000 year-old mystery behind America's greatest national treasure. "We'd go and karaoke from time to time and sort of blow it out and be completely ridiculous, which helped, I think," he said while promoting the film. It even helped he and co-star Diane Kruger bond during filming. While Cage made headlines earlier this year for his spirited performance of "Purple Rain" as a karaoke bar following the annulment of his marriage, he's no stranger to the Japanese pastime.
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