Last night our family enjoyed an evening at home watching a movie we had really wanted to see in the theatre…. but with ticket prices being what they are and popcorn buckets costing $6, we rarely go. We wait for the DVD and enjoy it at home. At least here we can pause for a bathroom break or a snack. So, we decided to wait for this one as well.
First of all, I was absolutely crazy for the first installment. I thought the first “National Treasure” was an outstanding movie. Part #2 is a pretty good movie in it’s own right, but not quite the equal of the first (but then again, sequels rarely are). Anyway, here’s my take and observations about the movie.
1. NO OBJECTIONABLE LANGUAGE - I’m not trying to be a prude here, but when did it become necessary for every movie worth watching to have a bazillion curse words? I’ve served in the Army. I’ve worked in the business world. I attended a state university. I know that language flies frequently. But is profane language ABSOULUTELY NECESSARY to make a movie worth watching? Seldom, if ever, have I seen a movie where such coarse language added to the enjoyment of the film. So it is with a great deal of satisfaction that I applaud both installments of National Treasure. These movies prove that the story and the acting is what carries the movie. These movies have proven that adult action movies can be highly successful and entertaining while not making you cringe during every other word.
2. OVERALL THEME - Who doesn’t love a great mystery? Who doesn’t love solving puzzles? OK.. some of you may get headaches when you’re trying to figure one out yourself (no Soduku for you), but it’s still fun to watch someone else figure it out. The clue-solving and discovery themes are lots of fun. Plus I love the historical elements that these movies bring to bear. Since I’m a bit of a history nut myself, I really enjoy them matching pieces of history from one continent to another in a chase to unravel the mystery. The locations are great and the wide-angle shots of MT Rushmore are awesome.
3. SPIRITUAL LESSONS - Any movie you watch can contain spiritual lessons if you look for them. I’d like to encourage you to make that a regular habit in your viewing. See what God can teach you through the different stories you see in movies. One of the remarkable things you begin to discover is how you can see and hear God in virtually any circumstance. Here are a few take-aways for me from National Treasure:
- Benjamin Gates (Cage’s character) goes to great lengths to defend the honor of his grandfather’s name. He puts himself at great risk to ensure that the name of his grandfather is not smeared. What if we were as passionate about the name of our Lord and Savior? What if we were willing to go to great lengths to defend the honor of the name of our Lord? What would that look like? How would it effect our lives? Our actions? Our attitudes? How would it effect our involvement in the church we are a part of that carries his mission forward?
- Mitch (The bad guy) says “A man only has one lifetime. But history can remember you forever.” As we look back on history we see that everyone leaves a legacy. It can be something great and remarkable, or it can be utterly disastrous. The Bible teaches us that we are to live our lives “in light of eternity”. But do we? How much of what we do is based purely on the wants/needs of today with no thought of the future, much less a legacy? We do only have one lifetime in which to achieve what God has purposed us to do. If we do that, then we will be remembered forever… by the one who matters most. God himself.
All in all, this was a highly enjoyable movie. A slightly darker movie than the first, but greatly entertaining. There are still plenty of one-liners that provide lots of laughs and break the tension. It’s a fun movie to get lost in for a couple of hours of family entertainment.
If you have any insights or thoughts on the movie, please add them in the comments below.
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