The Amazing Race Movie

That's what I've heard some people call National Treasure, the treasure hunting adventure movie starring Nicolas "Stanley Goodspeed" Cage. The treasure in question is a supposedly vast trove containing gold and artifacts from Egypt, Macedonia, Rome and God knows where else, collected by generations of conquerors, found by the Knights Templars who eventually became the Freemasons and then vanishing into the mists of antiquity and legend. Cage is Ben Gates, a treasure enthusiast who has Freemason ancestry in his family tree. His father (played by Jon Voight) thinks that he's wasting his time looking for myths. However, Gates finds support via a slightly geeky sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha) and a somewhat shady financier, Ian Howe (Sean "Boromir" Bean). When Gates and buddies find a major clue that points them to the Declaration of Independence, Ben and Ian have a falling out when Ian reveals his ruthless side. Soon, it's a race with Ben, Riley and a beautiful museum curator (Diane Kruger) named Abigail Chase (Abbie Chase? Danger Girl?) filling in the good guy side, while Ian and his troop of goons wear the black hats. The quest then takes them all over America, seeking a treasure right in the middle of the nation.
This is pretty much like Indiana Jones-lite; There is action of the running and hiding sort- Ben and his friends have to avoid confrontation and use their brains to win, while the baddies have guns. The mystery is mostly obscure historical facts and some dabbling into the arcane history of the Freemasons and the Knights Templars and the revolutionary forefathers... stuff that will probably bore most people.

Anyway, I found myself watching. It's really more of a caper movie than anything else, reminding me quite a bit of Sneakers, one of my favorite films. Just a little bit. Enough to get me to watch it to the end. In all, it's a pretty harmless flick. Good for a watch and nothing more. Unless you hate Nicolas Cage, which a couple of the gang do with a passion. Heh.