‘National Treasure’ is now available on 4K UHD and digital

Category: Blu-ray's, DVD's and Digital

 

Nicolas Cage stars in the 2004 hit film National Treasure, which was so popular Cage and the cast returned in 2007 for National Treasure: Book of Secrets. And, hold onto your seat, a third film in this franchise is under consideration.

National Treasure is a captivating story of the legendary Templar Treasure, with Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a cryptologist and historian whose family has been hunting the treasure for generations. His father Patrick (Jon Voight) thinks it is a hoax, but Ben is sure it exists and is set on following hidden clues to the ultimate prize.

When the clues lead him to the Declaration of Independence, Ben concocts a plan to steal this historic document. Along with his friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), they create an intricate plan which actually works, to the chagrin of Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) who oversees the country’s historic documents. 

With another treasure hunter, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) also following the clues to the document, Ben knows it is in the country’s best interest to get it first. After all, he has great respect for the Declaration and will keep it safe, whereas Ian has no respect and could destroy the document to find the next clue, which is definitely hidden somewhere on that historic paper.

So, after the theft, Abigail joins Ben and Riley on the hunt for the treasure. This hunt leads them to clue after clue, with Ian hot on their trail. Also on their trail is FBI Agent Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) whose job is to recover the Declaration of Independence and lock up Ben and his cohorts.

The clues lead them from one historic site to another. After all, they were created by the founding fathers to keep the world’s treasures safe from looters and to maintain them for future generations to enjoy and cherish. 

The Knights Templar made sure the treasure was kept safe, and now that responsibility falls on the shoulder of Benjamin Gates. He is the only person who can decipher the codes, follow the clues, and uncover the treasure not for his own wealth, but to make sure everything is in good hands and not in the hands of looters and treasure hunters like Ian. 

Once they safely uncover the historic items, the treasure will be distributed to museums around the world, which is against what Ian has in mind. So it is up to Ben to save the artifacts of human history.

This is truly an entertaining story, and the history threading through it is enticing. Riley provides plenty of comical relief, whereas Abigail provides the grounding for the group. Ben, on the other hand, is the brains and manages to pull up statistics, names, and places at the drop of a hat. His knowledge of history is impeccable, and quite frankly, makes me jealous.  

The film has been restored in 4K, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision, making it visually and audibly the best version of the movie. Fans of this iconic film can now enjoy it on a collectable 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook as well as a 4K UHD with bonus commentary from director John Turtletaub and Justin Bartha.

National Treasure is rated PG for action violence and some scary images. Although it is rated PG, it is a great film for family viewing.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She is a long-standing member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.

Note: This is one of our family’s favorite films.

Images supplied by Disney