National Treasure

How does Nicolas Cage get casted in a comedic-action-adventure flick? Again, I ask how? He is not funny except in a droll kind of weird, Italian dork-fest way. He has little physical presence. He is HOMELY! At least cast a good looking guy who looks like he would recognize a weight-belt if it squeezed his pudgy mid-line. Can we please find a younger Harrison Ford? Please? QUICK!

Note to casting agents: you can stop casting Ford, too. He is (sorry baby boomers) TOO old to be taken seriously as Harry-Save-The-Day even if he is sucking face with a Gen Xer in real life.

Back to the movie. I saw National Treasure on video this weekend. It had middling reviews but friends said I'd like it. The sad thing is that the story-line was great and fun, too. In a better cast's hands this movie would have been funnier and more caperish. But like all Cage vehicles, we must take ourselves a little too seriously musn't we?

The cast followed his lead which was a tormented squeeze between family-friendly frivolity with some adult winks and serious action-adventure where our hearts pound right up to the end. Did we really think he wouldn't find the treasure?

• Diane Kruger--a PhD what? And how old is she? At least keep bookish eye-glasses on her.
• Justin Bartha--you know how side-kicks often get offed? Why not here? Something just not right with him. Too good looking to be that smart on computers? Not quite funny enough?
• Sean Bean--I love him. Really, I do. But I felt sorry for him. He has chops and needs to be CAST AS A LEAD. He has great humor and plays a menacing bad guy, too. Cast against type. Let the man fall in love. We'll be wowed.
• Harvey Keitel--He was the ONLY well-cast actor. He's always great.
• Jon Voight--Something is wrong with his skin. No matter how his make-up is done he always looks like a dude in drag who lost his wig.
• Christopher Plummer--How did they convince him to do this film? Jon Voight looked older than him. And does anyone care if the father, son and grandson remotely look alike?

Anyway, the movie could have been great and even though it felt like a mish-mash, it was still passable entertainment.