Before Nicolas Cage played the web-slinging superhero in Spider-Noir and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, he starred in one of the most iconic film franchises from Disney which has recently made a streaming comeback. This feature led to a franchise, including a Disney+ series with 10 episodes and starring notable Hollywood names. And while it got mixed critics’ reviews, audiences loved it.
Cage started his career in 1981 and has since appeared in many projects, with the most recent being Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, as well as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Teen Titans GO! To the Movies, and Snowden, but he also has many producer credits under his belt. But out of all the movies and TV shows Cage has worked on, there are a few projects that he’s known for, and one of them recently became a streaming hit.
National Treasure was a 2004 historical fiction action-adventure that kick-started a franchise, leading to a sequel and a Disney+ show that came out in 2022. Cage starred in the film as treasure hunter Benjamin Gates, as he and his friend Riley (Justin Bartha) attempt to find the treasure hidden in America by the Founding Fathers and other notable people in history, before crime boss Ian Howe (Sean Bean) can. Recently, National Treasure landed at #5 on Hulu’s Top 10 Movies in the U.S., sitting between 2024’s <em>Twisters</em> and The Home with Pete Davidson.
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner?
The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
<spanclass=”ct-option-letter“ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them.
<spanclass=”ct-option-letter"BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy.
<spanclass=”ct-option-letter"CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart.
<spanclass=”ct-option-letter"DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we’re walking into.
<spanclass=”ct-option-letter"ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.
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Is ‘National Treasure’ Worth Watching?
Since its release in2004, National Treasure has generated over$347.5 million at the box office, leading to a sequel released in2007 calledNational Treasure: Book of Secrets , which performed higher at the box office, and there’s speculation that a third installment could be on the table. Disney attempted to lure new viewers to the franchise with a Disney+ series calledNational Treasure: Edge of History , but it was poorly received and was canceled after its first season. While critics gave the first National Treasure movie a47% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences praised the2004 feature, earning a78% score on the popcornmeter and a3.3-star rating on LetterBoxd.
Critics criticized National Treasure , stating it was trying to beIndiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark , but merged with a history lesson, or that it was like The Da Vinci Code , but with the religious context replaced with American history. Others didn’t believe that Cage was convincing enough to be a treasure hunter and saw him as a social studies teacher.” However,some critics gave National Treasure some praise,saying that it gave America sex appealand that it’s a guilty pleasure ,and the only reason why is because of Cage’s performance.
National Treasure is available to stream on Hulu.
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strong Release Date
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November19,2004
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strong Runtime
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131 minutes
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strong Director
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Jon Turteltaub
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strong Writers
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Cormac Wibberley, Jim Kouf, Marianne Wibberley, Charles Segars, Oren Aviv
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p>Diane Kruger/p>
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Abigail Chase
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