National Treasure - Nostalgia Critic

[@ChannelAwesome]

It's always Cage time! Support this week's charity - www.thedwellingplaceshelter.org/ Watch more Nostalgia Critic here - bit.ly/NCPlayList​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome​

[@deshawnedwards6412]

Review The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) please.

[@jerricablackcat4303]

it's 2022, can you review Soylent Green? It makes sense you've certainly refrenced it enough over the years.

[@RagamuffinBabyDoll]

Yeah baby! Let’s goooooo!

[@deshawnedwards6412]

Review The Simpsons Movie (2097).

[@chasehedges6775]

💯💯💯. Love NC

[@xanderodle2721]

This is an absolute classic, and introduced kid me to Nick Cage. 10/10 movie.

[@chasehedges6775]

Definitely. It's sooo good

[@donkarasu-9644]

Same here. Probably the best movie to be introduced to him, I say.

[@pricemaxer9736]

Lol same watch it with my stepdad

[@alexisdominey6487]

Ghost Rider is what introduced me to Cage, I was 4 when National Treasure came out.

[@eggmannega6895]

Same here.

[@ShadyDoorags]

"Are you hungry?" was used to snap Abigail out of her frantic state. He said something ridiculous to make sure she was listening.

[@hpfan2007]

Riley was the partner, Abigail was the woman

[@brenyatta]

Riley? Don’t you mean Abigail?

[@jessehcreative]

Reminds me of a tactic used to calm down children with tantrums. He would ask what color their shirt is or what color their hair or eyes are, to calm them down, so this tracks.

[@bluethunder250]

@@brenyatta He said Abigail.

[@daedriccheddar]

@@bluethunder250 comment was edited

[@TheZeroRyuzaki]

10:43 Abigail is actually not saying "That's dumb," she's saying "Verdammt" which is German for "Damn it!" which they established when the first met her that she was from Germany.

[@Rachellk]

I’m glad I watch movies with subtitles cause I was lookin at critic like 👀

[@FullMoonHowl]

This is why it pays to watch with subtitles. 😁

[@0816M3RC]

Why not just say "Damn it" in English then?

[@TheZeroRyuzaki]

@@0816M3RC Cause it’s a Disney movie

[@michaelwasson265]

Checked the comments to make sure someone pointed that out. 🤝🏻

[@artsman412]

Riley was my favorite part of this movie. He had some of the funniest lines. My favorite is, "Why can't they just say 'Go to this place and here's the treasure. Spend wisely.' " Also, that line about the stairs is he was crying tears of relief at seeing a way out.

[@madisonwhovian943]

You also can't go wrong with this classic line- "I'd love to go shopping too but we have no money."

[@chinchilla_fandoms9500]

Riley is the absolute best!

[@waterywingz]

Ur dad has a sweet ride ~ Smells funny in here…

[@luigipowdemo6458]

I don't understand the "this car smells weird" line but I really liked the part where he knew about the daylight savings thing when no one else did.

[@frostcore2214]

Yeah, to be fair, if I had to descend the crumbling staircase of hell, I would cry at seeing something functional

[@BugsyFoga]

I always felt Indiana Jones needed more NICOLAS CAGE in it!!!

[@coolnerdlll6053]

"Not the snakes! Not the snakes!"

[@michaelsayavong2656]

The crossover we didn’t know we wanted

[@imyourdaddy5822]

EVERYTHING NEEDS MORE NICOLAS CAGE!

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

It’s true

[@N-GinAndTonicTM]

@Arch-Perezeta Sounds hot.

[@WraithTDK]

Decoding lemons *is* actually a thing. It's very basic, very classic method of revealing invisible ink. I remember doing that as a science experiment as a kid.

[@jacob4920]

It's also the surest way not to ruin a document like the Declaration of Independence. It wouldn't ruin the parchment, because the document is made out of fabric paper that was built to last, not the flimsy wood-based crap you get today. Also, it wouldn't bleed through, and affect the writing on the document, because the same reason. The Declaration hasn't lasted for 200+ years just because it sits in a glass case. Ordinary paper would have flaked apart long ago. And lemon juice would absolutely demolish that stuff!

[@amityislandchum]

You're both remembering your science wrong. Lemon juice IS the invisible ink. You write with the juice, wait for it to dry, then reveal the ink using heat. The fact that they use both methods is why the scene is absolute horseshit. Either the cipher on the back of the map was written with lemon juice (or another acid), in which case it only needs to be heated to reveal the letters; or it was written with a pH indicator like phenolphthalein, in which case the letters would be revealed as soon as they rubbed the lemon juice on.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Usually the "invisible" INK is made from lemon juice and will be made visible by heat or open flames... the other way round is REALLY obscure.

[@Blokewood3]

Isn't lemon juice what you use to *write* invisible ink? How can you use it to reveal invisible ink?

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

@@Blokewood3 It's like a baking soda mixture to make the invisible ink. And lemon juice and heat, (Oven on low) to reveal it.

[@lO_-_Ol]

This movie is one of the few movies that is both very subtle and very in your face; All the actors give both 10/10 and 0/10 performances. It is both timeless and firmly stuck in 2004. It is the Nick Cage of movies starring Nicolas Cage.

[@a.b.cooper4807]

Best way to describe it

[@samfilmkid]

Literally perfect way to describe it!

[@chasehedges6775]

Soooo accurate

[@chasehedges6775]

@@samfilmkid 💯💯👍

[@LucianDevine]

Exactly, and it's perfect for the setting, because every character has to be a little insane just to believe that such a treasure is real. The government agencies Gates calls to try to warn them about the theft are rightfully skeptical, as is Abigail. She naturally does get drawn in, because if you find a clue to something like that, it would be hard not to be. Knowing that every character is at least a little crazy gives the director and actors that much more freedom, because "of the, They came this far. So why not?" mentality. What truly ties it all together is Ben's love and respect for history. He has dedicated his life to history and the templar treasure, but he was likely willing to give up after he heard that the map was on the back of the Declaration of Independence. He knew that he would likely never get close enough to it, and flat out refused to steal it. He only resigned himself to it after he'd exhausted the legal channels trying to keep it safe. The entire plot of the movie stems from a choice that Ian forced Ben to make. His respect even shows through at the end, refusing to use the Declaration of Independence as a bargaining chip. He'd rather go to prison for at least one crime he didn't want to commit than do that.

[@InMaTeofDeath]

I loved how Nic brought a truly genuine feel to his characters love of history.

[@teddybaker4759]

That's the real appeal of the movie, I think. It's like a celebration of American history.

[@Sonichero151]

Well that's cause Cage genuinely is a big History Buff.....

[@ThePa1riot]

@@Sonichero151 That, doesn’t surprise me in the least.

[@ThePa1riot]

@@teddybaker4759 No joke, this movie made me a patriot.

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@teddybaker4759Well, American Conspiracy Culture...

[@shinyninja8107]

I’m sorry, but Nicolas Cage saying “I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence” is one of the greatest things I’ve ever heard

[@JamminGiant117]

I’m going to start a conversation seriously with someone and then tell them “I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence.”

[@shotaaizawa1206]

It was a pretty amazing line

[@shanedaley6236]

It might be one of his best lines

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

And to think it was not even during an Oscar dinner party...

[@jordanpeakofficial]

I make it my aim to slot it perfectly into everyday conversation

[@turtek12]

Since you were having fun with names, Sean Bean's character's name is Ian Howe--also a reference to a British general during the American Revolution. Also, she didn't say "that's dumb"--it's mentioned earlier in the film that she's German by descent, and she says "Verdammt"--which is "damn it."

[@jacob4920]

She's not just German by descent. Listen to her talk, that chick was BORN in Germany, and only just recently moved to the States! Germans speak English very well, but you can always tell a German by the accent, and hers is DRIPPING with German!!

[@AtarahDerek]

A British general AND a British admiral, actually. Brothers Richard and William Howe were the main antagonists for Washington from 1776 through 1778.

[@peterullinger2814]

I do hear the Verdammt every time, so I´m with you on that.

[@TheAlps36]

Arnold Benedict was too obvious

[@zom8680]

Considering Riley points out a moment later that she cursed in German. That's the first time I've heard someone say it was "that's dumb"

[@jonahwashburn9573]

weird story: this was the first film I ever saw cage in, so when everyone told me that he was well known as an over-the-top actor, I thought they were bullshitting me

[@jonahwashburn9573]

@@ARCtheCartoonMaster or anybody through the star wars prequels lol

[@cg1red350]

lol imagine if the first time you saw cage in was that weird animatronics movie

[@jordanjoestar-turniptruck]

Same, then I saw the sequel and realized they were really not bullshitting

[@joshwilkins9138]

same

[@kendra_t]

Same. My siblings and I had a running joke that Cage was a super boring actor. Now I know better.

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

This series taught me that there's more than one Statue of Liberty.

[@sdmartell22]

Hahahahahahahaha no there's not

[@Trainfan1055Janathan]

@@sdmartell22 And a quick Google reveals, "There are over 100 replicas of the Statue of Liberty around the world, according to the conservatory. More than 30 are in France, including a handful in Paris. The statue's arrival in New York, the conservatory said, is meant to celebrate and underscore the central value of Franco-American friendship: liberty." Also, there's a small replica in Harrisburg, PA.

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

Mini golf taught me that 35 years ago...

[@uncleurda8101]

@@Trainfan1055Janathan StatueofLibertyfan1055

[@dastvan8002]

*We stole the statue of Liberty!* A small one from Las Vegas.

[@jamesmoyner7499]

This movie came out better than it had any right to be along with taking itself just serious enough.

[@Dargonhuman]

Agreed! It takes itself just seriously enough to suspend disbelief but leans enough into the goofy premise to be a lot of fun.

[@kingsleycy3450]

I am still surprised Disney didn’t cast a generic pretty boy for the role, as per usual practice.

[@jamesmoyner7499]

@@Dargonhuman Similar to The Rocketeer

[@Dargonhuman]

@@jamesmoyner7499 That's very true.

[@jacob4920]

@@kingsleycy3450 No, the generic pretty boy in this film was the sidekick, not the main character. That is a twist!

[@garretthildebrandt428]

So many lines I love in this one; Re: the X-Ray Bifocals “Benjamin Franklin invented something like these.” “Uh… I think he invented these.” Also, in the same scene, when they’re unwrapping the Declaration to read the map, there’s a little moment that made me appreciate Nic Cage’s character so much. He just takes a small breath and pauses, saying “it’s just… the last time this was here… it was being signed.” It’s small, but it showcases that Ben Gates has a true love and passion for history. And I liked that.

[@waterywingz]

W the way America is now nowadays, it’s really nice to think back n appreciate wut this was all originally built for and upon… 🥲

[@aidanquiett668]

National Treasure is probably the best introduction to Cage. It gives him a dumb story to kick up 10 notches into being a classic, while still being a family film and also only teasing you with the sheer insanity he can bring to screen

[@sewthernbelle]

And then you can see that sheer insanity in the sequel!

[@Nargon46]

This movie is hysterical 🤣 oh btw he said "You hungry?" To confuse her into calming down because she was freaking out.

[@AnthonyP73]

Classic NLP pattern interrupt :-)

[@connerrock1164]

I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the most requested review on his channel in years. It’s really well done to boot

[@ChannelAwesome]

It's a solid flick. Perfect amount of Cage qualities in this

[@briandesens144]

@@ChannelAwesome will you be reviewing the sequel to this movie?

[@theshenpartei]

@@ChannelAwesome it sure is can’t wait for the sequel review

[@jacob4920]

@@briandesens144 I mean, he kinda HAS TO, doesn't he? Otherwise his fans will do nothing but chirp at him, relentlessly, like a hungry nest of chicken hatchlings, until he either actually does it, or loses his mind and quits.

[@trillo3332]

@@jacob4920 *chirp *chirp *chirp *chirp *chirp *chirp

[@omarreyes7626]

5:50 context its key here, Ben didn't want to steal it, he forced himself into that decision to stop Ian, he knew he would get the treasure to become rich, not to preserve history like he intended, so he did it to protect the declaration and the treasure.

[@AirQuotes]

How dare treasure hunters want to get rich

[@amityislandchum]

Literally everyone knows this. You don't need to explain the complex intricacies of National fucking Treasure's plot. The point is that it's still very stupid.

[@roboraptorwolf9726]

@@AirQuotes the problem is less getting rich, it’s hoarding historical relics and valuable artifacts Which is an incredibly real world problem

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@AirQuotesYeah, that's why being a treasure hunter is bad

[@DarkKnightofAnime]

Honestly…I think this might be my favourite Nic Cage movie cause It genuinely gets better and better the more I watch it And even if it’s not his best I still think it’s his most underrated film

[@chasehedges6775]

His most underrated film. 8mm(1999): Hold my beer

[@AndreNitroX]

Agreed also seeing Nick in this movie is just my favorite performance of his

[@_the_rizzler]

@@chasehedges6775 That movie made me feel like I had to bathe in holy water 😂

[@amityislandchum]

His most underrated film is Valley Girl, and it's not even close. You've probably never heard of it.. Check it out and you'll agree.

[@waterywingz]

Omg *sob* 😭 so happy someone also said it gets “better n better the more I watch it” so I’m not the only wacko watching this over n over yet finding joy each time 🙈🙈 thank u, sir!

[@dawnbreaker2912]

10:32 - Abigail didn't say "that's dumb", she said " _verdammt_ " ("damn it"). She's German. Riley alludes to it a couple seconds later.

[@mackfarlainethebarenakedau5113]

That's why she was cast as Bridget Von Hammersmark in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

[@FC3692230]

Actually the lemon treatment is based on true historic facts. Even in Cuba some underground writings rebels did during the war against Batista were done with ink that could be read using direct light and lemons.

[@kaind.badguy]

Do people think invisible ink is fantasy?

[@princessthyemis]

whoaaaa! I never knew that!

[@MandleRoss]

The thing is, I always thought that you WROTE the message in lemon juice and revealed it with heat, like a hot light bulb. I didn't know there was a version where you reveal it with lemon juice.

[@mentaya11]

@@kaind.badguy NC seems to. There are many kinds, this is totally realistic. As is the "Are you hungry line". I love his work, but every once in a while I just have to wonder about him.

[@amityislandchum]

The depiction in the film is still completely wrong. Lemon juice itself can indeed be used as invisible ink. You write with the juice, wait for it to dry, then reveal the ink using heat. Lemon juice can also be rubbed on a document that was written with an invisible acid-base indicator solution, revealing the ink. Using both lemon + heat would mean you're corrupting the ink in some way, and would reveal nothing. Either the cipher on the back of the map was written with lemon juice (or another acid), in which case it only needs to be heated to reveal the letters; or it was written with a pH indicator like phenolphthalein, in which case the letters would be revealed as soon as they rubbed the lemon juice on.

[@Shark0115]

You cut out Riley being smart with daylight savings time. Probably my favorite scene and it's so relatable being the idiot in a group of educated people.

[@MrOniro1]

National Treasure 1 & 2 are some of my favorite movies. It introduced me to Nicolas Cage and treasure hunting movies, while also birthing my interest of history.

[@StripsofLight]

it's been a while since I saw it, but I'm fairly sure the "that's dumb" sounding line is actually her swearing in german (they mention she has german origins)

[@MrBanankartong]

Yeah she's saying verdammt...

[@SaffronSphinx]

Exactly!

[@ColonelCarnage]

If you haven’t noticed yet Doug isn’t very bright.

[@AzureDragoonGX]

Yeah, this was surely for a bit. Scene manipulation on the level of CinemaSins here, where NC cuts before Riley talks about her swearing at them. Why would he say that if what she really says is "That's dumb!"? That being said, I did laugh just a tiny bit to this bit.

[@jeffbrehove2614]

I sometimes think "verdammit" was dubbed over by "That's dumb"

[@TheCommenterDragon]

National Treasure is one of my all time favorite Nicholas Cage films, In fact the first time i saw the trailer for the new film Uncharted it made me think-"It's like Indiana Jones meets National Treasure"

[@jacob4920]

It's like... "Indiana Treasure!"

[@carlotta4th]

Ooh Uncharted would have been way better with Cage as the protagonist. You need a fun/charming manic energy for adventure films--not "aw, sweet young lad" energy.

[@janabug68]

Unironically one of my favorite movies. It's just so fun.

[@cartoonfan495]

When I was young and watched this movie, my brother and I loved it so much we had a treasure hunt theme for our birthday. And yes my mom did made the treasure map invisible. It was awesome

[@cartoonfan495]

@A Catalan Liam Thank you, they're the best

[@waterywingz]

Can u organize this again and invite us to ur bday party? 🙏

[@cartoonfan495]

@@waterywingz I'll have to figure out how we did that invisible ink but that would be awesome

[@Bartman1989-i2z]

Did you like National Treasure Book of Secrets when you were young?

[@Atrus233]

This is a movie where, I once put it on on a streaming service looking for a specific scene....and then just ended up watching the rest of the movie, because the pacing and editing was so damn good. And the execution just kinda pulled you along for the next moment until it was over. I've had that same experience with The Shawshank Redemption and The Suicide Squad (2021). And both of those two films are of course a thousand times better than this. But they have a similar magic of pacing and editing that makes it hard to stop watching. Like I've caught The Shawshank Redemption on TV partway, and somehow couldn't tune away. The same with me putting on The Suicide Squad (2021) just to look for a specific scene, only to watch the rest. Also, Nicolas Cage believing all this stuff really sells the character. You believe it because he believes it. And all the other leads did well as well. It's a dopey premise executed surprisingly well. In some respect, it has the energy of like a modern Indiana Jones. You have someone generally knowledgeable about history that suddenly goes off the deep end about lore, and then is proven right. All while going through some pretty action/adventure shit. And it's not meant to be true to real world history. It's just meant to be FUN.

[@NewPaulActs17]

i feel like indiana jones 4 ripped off national treasure which in turn ripped off indiana jones og trilogy

[@roboraptorwolf9726]

It is also awesome when you find out all the stuff which is actually real and not just made up. This movies must have had a really good research department

[@Longshanks1690]

I’m still sad we never got a third movie. It would have been an amazing trilogy.

[@mrcritical6751]

They keep saying they’re gonna make it

[@Longshanks1690]

@@mrcritical6751 I keep saying my dads gonna come back with the milk any day now too

[@robgaming2638]

@@Longshanks1690 yeah but Disney hasn't "officially" axed it. They even bought the domain for the third film.

[@Longshanks1690]

@@robgaming2638 Disney hasn’t “officially” denied Chicken Little 2 but 20 years down the line, I think we can say it’s a dead project.

[@jareththegoblinking3191]

What would a third even be about? El Dorado? Shagri-La? Benjamin Franklin’s monster?

[@AustinNebbia]

10:43 She's not saying "That's dumb", Abigail (and Kruger) is German, she's swearing!! "Verdammt!" Justified by the "pretty sure she was swearing" line from Riley a second later.

[@Poever]

This came out the same day as The Spongebob Squareapants movie, and 17 year old me chose SpongeBob rightly so. What makes this even funnier is that National Treasure was the last live action original-to-theaters hit series Disney came up with before they hit the point of having to buy Marvel and LucasFilm

[@guerillagrueplays6301]

"Having To." That's some interesting spin you got on there :)

[@Poever]

@@guerillagrueplays6301 outside of Pirates and Pixar, Disney’s in house production slate wasn’t doing huge box office numbers or generating any major new franchises for theaters, and that does include Disney Animation proper. Not to mention this was the era where Paramount Pictures was the hottest game in town with a lot of big hits, including Iron Man, their distribution deal with Dreamworks Animation, and Transformers

[@jacob4920]

You mean to say: "Before Bob Iger took over the operation, and started buying everybody else's ideas, because Disney, under his watch, literally had no imagination of their own."

[@amityislandchum]

@@Poever You're using a shitload of dumb qualifiers to pretend that Disney wasn't making absolute bank during this time and somehow "needed" to buy Marvel and LucasFilm to stay afloat. You even mention one of the most successful series EVER in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, but somehow try to disqualify it because... it's based on a ride? Or something? Disney also owned Pixar, Studio Ghibli, and a ton of other successful studios that whole time.

[@rkochamp07]

The score is what i loved the most in this movie. The background music is so simple yet so epic at the same time.

[@gehenna4346]

Totally agree, the score is beautiful and really stands out here. Some of the pieces are literal magic

[@CapnBraggins]

The quick cut to Dark Helmet was legit the hardest laugh I've ever had from one of your videos.

[@jacob4920]

In the film's defense, who would actually think of "Valley Forge" as the password? Also... I imagine only a select handful of people even KNOW that secret vault even exists in the first place. So what's the actual danger? It's not like that computer terminal would be connected to the internet (because I guarantee it's not).

[@Lutraphobian]

Great episode! :) At 10:31, Diane Kruger says "Verdammt!", not "That's dumb!". "Verdammt" means "Damn it" in German, and earlier in the movie, she says her accent is Saxony German.

[@wstine79]

I love this movie. It's the perfect gateway movie to Nicholas Cage and Sean Bean goodness.

[@100nitrog2]

But it doesn't prepare a viewer for the sheer number of times Sean Bean will die in other movies. The man is a walking spoiler, and him surviving National Treasure was an unintended plot twist.

[@jacob4920]

@@100nitrog2 When I saw Sean Bean in "Lord of the Rings" for the first time, even before his character was introduced, I was all like: "He's Boromir, isn't he?" Sure enough...

[@waterywingz]

Sean Bean wickedly handsome in this one

[@flippedoutkyrii]

Don't care what anyone has to say, this is up there with one of my top 10 guilty pleasures. Rented the hell out of it when it came out on DVD!

[@Mediados]

I have pretty fond memories of this movie. It's certainly no masterpiece, but there are far worse treasure-hunter movies out there.

[@mafeuk]

*coff* Uncharted *coff*

[@Aileil]

I unreasonably enjoyed this film as a kid - primarily because of the matter-of-fact "The aliens helped them" declaration from Riley. I was easily amused. Thank you for reviewing it.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

The very first Cage movie I ever saw. And one of the only films Sean Bean doesn’t die lol 😂

[@DiegoRedeemedLover]

Riley was my first crush that wasn't animated. Imo, he's still cute to this day. 🥰And he makes the movie - in my opinion - with his comic relief. He's a good comic relief character. :3

[@Arsaja]

Hah, I thought I was the only one who fell for the lovabale tech nerd :D His sarcastic quips are beyond hilarious :D

[@CherryFrog321]

Saaame, I remember being 12 or 13 when this movie came out and having such a huge crush on him 😂

[@averymerrick]

From IMDB: On the DVD, director Jon Turteltaub says the initial rough cut was around *four hours long.*

[@girlvlogsdiy2462]

I honestly love this film. It's one of my favorite adventure movies. I agree with your thoughts on Nicholas Cage, but I also would say that the treasure hunting part is quite interesting. Watching them trying to solve the clues is so fascinating and it really feels like a treasure hunt. I think this movie is just great and so is the sequel as well.

[@HAL-st4ll]

FUCKING FINALLY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL ART HERE! i was literally wondering when the review for this flawless masterpiece would finally happen, Just Yesterday

[@mBm357]

Why are you using such archaic language, Dave?

[@h.haydon8044]

9:50, if that actually happened, that would have been hilarious! I remember two of my friends and I saw it when it came out. The audience and us loved it! There was a lot of laughs and people were relaxed and enjoying themselves

[@enasty1257]

I love this movie. I would totally believe that nick cage and his family are treasure hunters like it's assasins creed. And a good chunk of the movie is in Philly where I'm from. So it was nice to see the reading terminal market, indepence hall, and the liberty bell museum. Places I've been to a lot on field trips as a kid.

[@Bradleymarsik]

"He's in on the joke, but he takes it seriously." That is Nicolas cages career described in one sentence.

[@benderbendingrodriguez420]

This is my absolute favorite Nick Cage movie. This is the true Indiana Jones 4

[@theawesomeman9821]

Its Nick Cage's only good film

[@CocainBuzz]

Face Off exist He could eat peach for hours

[@jacob4920]

@@CocainBuzz John Travolta owned "Face Off" far more than Cage did. Also, to the OC: Yeah! This movie put way more effort into its adventure story than "Crystal Skull" sure did. I only saw the real Indy 4 once, and it still feels like a waste of two hours of my life that I will never get back.

[@RabidNemo]

5:29 Knowing the pace of the rest of the movie I actually always enjoy that little break at the beginning. It's almost like taking a little time to psych yourself up before a hike

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

I will say this Nicolas Cage is a actual Natural Treasure

[@dragonlordjonerc]

I visited the National Archives over the summer and their gift shop has a bunch of National Treasure stuff. There's a movie poster front and center when you enter the gift shop and I think that's just amazing.

[@Tadicuslegion78]

This movie does, what a lot of treasure hunting movies fail to do, you gotta have something else driving the character besides the treasure itself *Scowls at the Uncharted Movie*

[@lutherheggs451]

Clearly you've not played the games then since 3 out of 4 games the driving force is the treasure.

[@TDI_CharlieBrown]

@@lutherheggs451 yeah but in the games at least the chemistry between the characters is fun and drives the story. Also Nathan Drake is hilarious (scowls at Uncharted movie)

[@MultiBoxingKid]

@A Catalan Liam What about “Jungle Cruise”?

[@amityislandchum]

@@lutherheggs451 No shit. The point is that such a shallow motivation isn't enough to drive an entire movie.

[@JohnkyTonkbadonkadonk]

I love the 'Are you hungry?" Just the absurdity of the timing to try to confuse her into submission. Perfect.

[@aliciabruder1106]

I really liked these films growing up because they were one of few that didn’t feel like a Disney film while being a Disney film. It also did get me interested in the masons and any potential secrets and treasures the founding fathers left behind. Having a mason gathering place in my hometown and then going to D.C. and Williamsburg with many folks when I was young sparked my interest more as I was always curious what it was really like back then; before, during, and after the signing o the declaration.

[@ninjabunnywholivesinsideaw8216]

I remember as a kid thinking this film was somehow connected to Night at the Museum. I literally have no idea why I thought that. 🤣

[@Depth217]

When I was in 4th grade, I remember the trailer for National Treasure 2 having the line “who wants to go down the creepy dark tunnel first?” A kid in my class said that before we went down the horror themed tunnel at Ripley’s Believe it Or Not… And he ended up screaming his head off and crying despite his bravado and National Treasure quoting. 😬

[@cuff2860]

I loved the premise behind this. Frankly, we need more movies that stir an interest in history.

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

I honestly wish there was just a movie with Nicolas Cage and Jim Carrey just yelling about water!

[@berry186]

Them together would be hilarious 😆. Throw Jack Black and Adam Sandler in the mix.

[@arlenfreeman3439]

Add in Christopher Walken, and you have the most surreal movie experience of your life.

[@matthewjones6786]

Tim Curry and J K Simmons want in on this.

[@Disney65Fan]

They did star in a film together back in the 80s called Peggy Sue Got Married.

[@vfxfan]

If you remember in the second movie, Cage becomes possessed by Carrey in England.

[@tt_tube7978]

"Just get a million of those and you'll somehow be rich" was a brilliant line

[@averymerrick]

November and December 2004 was a very busy time for family films. This, The Incredibles, Spongebob, A Series of Unfortunately Events, Polar Express. Crazy time back then.

[@patf763]

10:30 she's not saying "That's dumb" - She's saying "verdammt" which means "damn it" in Diane Kruger's mother tongue, german.

[@wstine79]

Chaplin: "Oh boy! Doug is searching for a treasure map in my litter box." Lloyd: "There's no national treasure in that sand."

[@xoelnolan9587]

What Diane Kruger says in the van is "Verdammt", German for "Damn it", not "That's dumb". granted Verdammt and That's dumb sound similar said fast.

[@reagansido5823]

7:26 "you are gonna go to prison. you know that." "yeah, probably." Implying that they is ANY chance he doesn't.

[@CommanderActaeon]

10:38 ACTUALLY, in the original version, I recall she actually said the German phrase for "God D*** it!" I guess they censored it in future releases? Thats Where Riley says at the end of this scene "I'm pretty sure she swore at us too." and Ben says "I probably deserved that."

[@MrBurnsy81]

Even though I saw this at the movies in my 20s, it somehow gave me a nostalgic feeling somewhere between Indiana Jones and Goonies. Just a fun romp, will have to watch again.

[@MrBanankartong]

She's not saying "That's dumb" They mention in passing she has German origins. She's saying "verdammt" wich is basically Dammit!

[@criminallyautistic8372]

Ahh the very first time I've ever seen Nic Cage in a film. This was great.

[@charleskimball7058]

Sean Bean’s character is named Ian Howe. General William Howe and Lord Admiral Richard Howe both fought on the side of the British in the American Revolution

[@marvingro7959]

She doesn't say "That's dumb". She says "Verdammt", which is "Damn it" in German.

[@ScarriorIII]

Yeah, how could he miss that? I've known that since the first time I saw it. She mentions her German heritage earlier and its implied she's naturalized/spent time in Germany.

[@jeffbrehove2614]

When this movie went to syndication for TV, didn't they dub "verdammt" for "that's dumb"? Then as I'm typing this I thought, "Would they really dub that on the DVD release?

[@garaj1]

20:14 Correct me if I'm wrong but I clearly remember this being part of a running joke in the movie. The team keeps finding themselves having to climb to get the clues and Riley hates it because stairs would be easier. So this is the payoff for that joke. It doesn't come out of nowhere.

[@shotaaizawa1206]

Honestly, I personally think this movie was actually pretty good underated in my opinion i got to learn American History better than my middleschool history teacher

[@amityislandchum]

I'm assuming you failed history, since this movie is completely inaccurate.

[@monks_media93]

Dear Nostalgia Critic, thank you for getting me excited every Wednesday for all these years.

[@justanotherchannelonyoutub126]

IMO, this series deserves a third movie

[@chasehedges6775]

It really does

[@chayden153]

Definitely

[@seanpatrickcain2]

Of course

[@mentaya11]

Nah. The first deserved a second. The second deserved to be good, but after that one, I didn't really want to see what they would do with a 3rd.

[@heritage106]

2 was good. It's plot was great. I think Ed Harris was a bad choice for the "villian"

[@Happymali10]

Now that you've shown the Big Daddy costume we need a Nostalgia Critic about Kick Ass.

[@virgil592]

10:32 Okay, yeah she says Verdammt. German for Damn It. Riley even says after "I'm pretty sure she was swearing too."

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

To quote the late great Norm Macdonald and something I’m sure Nicolas Cage thinks a awful lot about is “I don't know the difference between a hippie and a hipster but, it's fun to watch either one of them get beat up."

[@antigrav6004]

I watched it the other day, it still holds up and that moment they actually find the treasure at the end is a cool resolution and feels good

[@claytonrios1]

How fitting since we're getting an adventurer movie this week in Uncharted too. Would it have benefitted from the Cage Man though?

[@reallyawesometitle7653]

Nothing would have

[@wolfpack_104]

I could be misremembering, but watching the movie with subtitles sometime ago I believe when Abigail yells at Gates she's not saying "that's dumb" but rather something in German that's akin to saying "damnit"

[@chenstormstout9456]

You know this movie is one of my favorites because it’s just fun to watch for me. The sequel too.

[@mercenaryknight5419]

This film is just a fun romp, I still quite like it. Also, at 17:53, Ian and his men do have guns.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

"We did the only thing we could to keep it safe." Okay we all know if this wasn't Disney she would've said "That's FCKING stupid." lol

[@Miyanoai14]

Better, she said “damn it” in German actually (verdammt)

[@PoeticProse7]

As a survivor of DV, thank you for choosing that charity, Doug. Also, PLEASE do the sequel!!! I love this movie, but the sequel felt like a hot mess!

[@chasehedges6775]

National Treasure, one of Nicolas Cage’s best

[@frostcore2214]

20:15 to be honest, if I had just survived probably the most terrifying, decayed, and broken staircase, I too would probably shed tears at the sight of at least something functional.

[@FabledHeroes3351]

Honestly this movie is seriously underrated if you wanna have an adventure/treasure hunt movie marathon put this and part 2 on your list

[@JJ-yn4cj]

Along with The Goonies :)

[@ArnoldTohtFan]

Abigail mentions that she is German-American when she first meets Ben, after he asks about her accent. She says “verdammt!” in the van, not “that's dumb!” Riley later says “pretty sure she was swearing at us.”

[@coolnerdlll6053]

There are so many people I wish I can say are national treasures: Alan Rickman, Chris Hemsworth, Michael J. Fox. Not because they're bad, but because they're not American.

[@skyguy675]

I'll do you a solid and tell you Alan Rickman is a national treasure.

[@stitchlover4381]

Is Michael J Fox Canadian?

[@coolnerdlll6053]

@@stitchlover4381 Yes.

[@TheRibottoStudios]

they're InterNATIONAL treasures then.

[@JimBeamFiend53]

Jeffery Combs

[@SamuraiBebop713]

10:32 She said Verdammt, she said earlier she was Saxony-German. What it's German for, I have no idea, but I'm willing to believe it's some Disney-movie-appropriate variation of bullturd.

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

Honestly can we just give Nicolas Cage a game show already?

[@MandleRoss]

Can it involve the hunting of the participants?

[@S_PIDER]

10:33 While that would have been funny, if you turn on subtitles she actually says "Verdammt! Give me that!" which is most likely a swear in another language. Riley even says a few moments later that she swore at them, despite her never saying any in English, at least not that I can recall. Anywho I guess if you ever make a Nostalgia Critic F ups part 4 you can add this to it.

[@saveriopanaccione996]

I never saw this movie but I do remember seeing the coming attractions of it when I was a kid

[@patrykzukowski7471]

For someone who watched this movie for the first time in 2021, I gotta say: this movie is very, very entertaining, and has the right amount of everything that it doesn't lean into any extreme: it's not too over the top, not too serious, not too funny, not too stupid, etc., etc. Very good job by the crew.

[@averymerrick]

From American Dad episode "Hurricane!" -Klaus attempts to get Stan's spirits up by mentioning most of Nicolas Cage's career and claiming his best movie was National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.

[@louisduarte8763]

I remember that show have an episode that riffed on National Treasure, with Stan and Steve running around Washington, D.C. looking for items having to do with peanut butter. It makes more sense in context.

[@Miyanoai14]

Doug, this review had me cracking up and I’m glad you appreciate Cage’s presence in this. It always made me want to learn more about American history (at least for a little bit). However, I have to point out a misinterpretation: Abigail didn’t say “that’s dumb”, she said “verdammt”, which in German is “damn it”. She admits earlier in the film that she is from Germany and after that line, Riley states “pretty sure she was swearing too”. She was, just not in English.

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

I assume Nicolas Cage is saying to himself Pablo Picasso has got nothing on me this is real art!

[@supahdupahplayahmacknumbah1]

I feel like Nostalgia Critic is an international treasure of our own.

[@fieryduoandfriends4085]

I wonder which film had the most craziest idea: Nicholas Cage using the Declaration of Independence as a treasure map to lost treasure Or Nicholas Cage fighting chuck e cheese like robots that are haunted by killers and being a prequel to Five nights at freddys

[@diamondstuddedpunchingbag4718]

So I remember when I first saw this as a kid. I already had an absolute love for history...especially American history!! I remember when he and the guys go through the dialogue to find out it's the Declaration of Independence on Charlotte at the beginning...my mom thought that was the coolest thing how they figured that all out!! It's a great guilty pleasure movie in our home!!