Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) belongs to a family of scholars who have lived in the New England area since the country was founded; in fact, there is a story that has been passed down through the generations about a treasure that was brought to America before its independence, and the last person to know any of the real clues about it secretly told Ben's ancestor. Over the generations, various Gates family members have hunted down the only clue they have, but the movie opens up with Ben in the arctic hunting down the elusive ship that holds the next clue to the vast treasure.
Along with Cage are his friend Riley (Justin Bartha) and his financier, Ian Howe (Sean Bean). When the expedition team uncovers the next clue, which leads them to The Declaration of Independence, a difference in morals causes the group to split. It seems Ian isn't as much of a philanthropist as Ben thought and feels the only way to examine the document is to steal it. Ian leaves Ben and Riley trapped on the ship and in the arctic, while he and his companions start planning their heist. It isn't long before Ben decides that the only way to keep Ian from The Declaration, and keep it safe from his, most likely, harmful ways of examining it, is to steal it himself.
This is where the film really picks up since a good portion of it is not only the planning of the caper, but also the theft and immediate consequences. Ben gets the museum's manager, Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) involved when during the heist, Ian's goons think she has the historical document and Ben has to go after her. Once the initial chases are done, the good guys hold up in Ben's father's house (played by Jon Voight) and start to scrutinize the paper. When they uncover a hidden message on the back, the father points out that "There is always another clue," which seems to be the case since everything they uncover leads them to yet another puzzle to solve, and Ian is always on their tail.
As you would expect from a Collector's Edition, there are a ton of special features to be watched. Not only are there several featurettes, deleted scenes and an alternate ending (all of which can be found on the DVD version of the Collector's Edition), but exclusive on Blu-ray is an interactive program that lets you go over The Declaration of Independence line-by-line and have Riley explain the finer points of the document. This is a pretty good, and somewhat fun, learning tool for young-ones trying to figure out what all the fancy writing is about.
National Treasure is just a fun caper flick that is full of chases and tons of tidbits about American history. While there are a few facts that were exaggerated for the purpose of the film, a lot of the hard historical points are true, and it really leaves you to wonder if there is such a treasure buried somewhere near Washington D.C. If you haven't picked up a copy of National Treasure before, then the Collector's Edition is the one to grab, plus the cleanliness of the sound and picture are just great on Blu-ray.
