Every time either of the "National Treasure" movies are on ABC Family I make a point to take a picture of the screen and Snapchat some of my closest friends. These Snapchats should be met with happiness that the movies are being played on TV and that I am enjoying them, but that's never what happens. If you decide you finally want to watch it (and enjoy it), "National Treasure" has been added to Netflix streaming. Now you can watch the film many times on repeat to relive all of the glory that is Ben Gates, played by Nicholas Cage, and his marvelous adventure to find treasure with a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. So, to the people who think this movie is awful, here are some reasons to give it a chance.
1. Nic Cage makes amazing running faces.
This makes the chase scenes even more enjoyable than they already are, since, you know, they're running to save historical artifacts from Boromir from "Lord of The Rings." What's not to like?
2. Riley Poole makes the movie.
Riley's character acts as a mirror for the audience. He is our confused voice saying, "Hey, we didn't pay attention in history class. What do you mean the Liberty Bell isn't still in the same place it was?"
3. Abigail Chase is smart and beautiful and everything you want from a strong female character.
There is a point in the movie that my screenwriting class calls "Bad Guys Close In," right when the characters are at their lowest point and have to use all of their brain power to get out of a situation. It just so happens that Abigail is responsible for getting them out of "Bad Guys Close In" when Ben is arrested and leading them back together to fight the bad guys and find the treasure.
4. The facts are inaccurate but accurate at the same time.
All of the things that are talked about in the movie do in fact exist and are explained mostly with real facts that are historically accurate. But, unfortunately, there's probably not a treasure map on the Declaration of Independence, and Ben Franklin didn't make magical spectacles that could read invisible ink. Bonus points to Disney for giving a false fact then immediately correcting themselves when the bad guys were gone. FYI, "The British came by sea. It was two lanterns, not one." Thanks, Abigail, for fixing that.
5. Ben Gates has a dream, and he goes after it unafraid of the consequences.
After they find the treasure, all Ben wants is to not go to prison. But he also wants to clear his family's name, make sure Abigail has nothing on her record, and give Riley credit, even though every time prison was mentioned before it was found, he brushed it off and kept going because he always knew the treasure was out there somewhere.
6. Sean Bean finally made a movie that his character doesn't die in.
His character, Ian, is sent to prison for kidnapping, attempted murder, and trespassing on government property, though, so he'll probably die there.
Now go on Netflix and watch yourself a true National Treasure.
