# national treasure? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709 "2004-11-08T20:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/1 "2004-11-08T20:38:42Z")
i have to turn the channel every time the commercial comes on. it just seems so stupid. is it supposed to be stupid? i can’t really tell because if for soem reason i can’t reach the remote i close my eyes, plug up my ears, and sing “LALALALALA!!!” as loud as i can. don’t tell me i’m the only one… ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/2 "2004-11-08T20:44:17Z")
The whole premise of “fabulous treasure” stories ignore the fact that if you go to great lenths to hide a treasure for centuries it becomes a liability not an asset. Still, a jerry Bruckheimer movie, how can you go wrong? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![down\_by\_law](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@down\_by\_law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/down_by_law)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/3 "2004-11-08T20:48:46Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > The whole premise of “fabulous treasure” stories ignore the fact that if you go to great lenths to hide a treasure for centuries it becomes a liability not an asset. Still, a jerry Bruckheimer movie, how can you go wrong? 😃 ummm, armegeddon? pearl harbor? kangaroo jack? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/4 "2004-11-08T20:55:17Z")
The first time I saw an ad for it, I thought they’d turned _The Da Vinci Code_/_Angels and Demons_ into a movie. I know that it can take years for movies to be made and released, so it’s entirely possible that whoever wrote it did so before Dan Brown got popular, but it seems like an imitation. I’m disappointed to see Nicolas Cage – one of my favorite actors – in the lead of what seems to be a ripoff. ☹ Maybe it will be better than it looks… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/5 "2004-11-08T21:30:24Z")
I keep looking at the ads and thinking - The Declaration of Independence - the one that just taken out of the National Archives for conservation and which has spent two years with experts pouring over every square centimeter of it - that Declaration of Independence has a treasure map hidden on its back? I hate it when movies absolutely depend on the stupidity of the audience for their very existence. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/6 "2004-11-08T21:40:24Z")
I want to know where they found that special dollar bill, you know, the one that has Benjamin Franklin and 100 on the front, and the pyramid and ONE on the back. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/7 "2004-11-08T22:02:50Z")
I know it looks really dumb, but I love that Eco-like conspiracy anthropology and I love the history of the Framers, so I’ll probably go see it. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/8 "2004-11-08T22:33:36Z")
Dan Brown rip-off. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/9 "2004-11-08T22:54:31Z")
The main reason I’m pretty sure it will suck? The advertisements always mention, “Directed by John Turtletaub.” Now this is a pretty knowledgable board so I am confident that some people know him but I don’t think that many do. He’s done a few movies that were okay, those being Pheomenon and Cool Runnings. But when they pump a director that is by no means an A-List director, I figure they’ve got nothing better to advertise. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/10 "2004-11-08T22:57:31Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > The first time I saw an ad for it, I thought they’d turned _The Da Vinci Code_/_Angels and Demons_ into a movie. I know that it can take years for movies to be made and released, so it’s entirely possible that whoever wrote it did so before Dan Brown got popular, but it seems like an imitation. I’m disappointed to see Nicolas Cage – one of my favorite actors – in the lead of what seems to be a ripoff. ☹ It also looks like an Indiana Jones wannabe. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/11 "2004-11-08T23:00:30Z")
Well, I guessed the plot just from watching the first trailer, and I suspect it’ll suck, but if it doesn’t, I’ll probably rent it on DVD. I’ve got a soft spot for stories about ancient hidden treasure, particulary if surronded by some kind of conspiracy(I don’t take them seriously, but they can be good fodder for fiction). even if the map to said treasure is on the back of a docment that was sent to the King of England and no doubt would have been noticed long before now. It’s a bruckheimer movie, but I’m not sure what to make of that. I liked THE ROCK, Black Hawk down, enemy of the state, Crimson tide and PotC, but hated Pearl Harbor and could only watch Armageddon as a comedy. Then again, Micheal Bay isn’t directing it, so it could be good. I’ve never heard of Mr. Turtletaub. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/12 "2004-11-09T00:04:10Z")
My reaction to the trailer has been, “Wow, that’s definitely going to suck. And I can’t wait to see it.” ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/13 "2004-11-09T00:20:26Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > I want to know where they found that special dollar bill, you know, the one that has Benjamin Franklin and 100 on the front, and the pyramid and ONE on the back. I just want to know how the people who hid the treasure 2+ centuries ago managed to hide the clues to its whereabouts on a 100 dollar bill design that wasn’t even _conceived_ of until the 1990s. ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/14 "2004-11-09T00:22:59Z")
A little while ago, Dave Barry wrote a column on how to write a Dan Brown novel. The plot of National Treasure sounds _suspiciously_ like Dave’s idea… ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/15 "2004-11-09T00:25:42Z")
> [@down by law](#): > > ummm, armegeddon? > pearl harbor? > kangaroo jack? [Dolby™ Digital Surround Sound]WwwwwwwwwooooooooooosssssSSSSSHHHHHHHHH![/Dolby]In THX® where available ---
**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/16 "2004-11-09T00:56:04Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > I hate it when movies absolutely depend on the stupidity of the audience for their very existence. Wow, that sounds like what a Dan Brown novel depends on as well. These two must be related, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@citrus\_x\_paradisi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citrus_x_paradisi)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/17 "2004-11-09T01:12:40Z")
“Dan Brown ripoff?” C’mon, hasn’t anyone here besides **Cliffy** read Foucault’s Pendulum? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/18 "2004-11-09T01:13:41Z")
They’re actually making [The Da Vinci Code](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0382625/). Ron Howard slated to direct. I am not looking forward to the renewed ignorance fighting that will surely result from that one. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/19 "2004-11-09T01:39:28Z")
> [@citrus x paradisi](#): > > “Dan Brown ripoff?” > > C’mon, hasn’t anyone here besides **Cliffy** read Foucault’s Pendulum? I have read it, but I thought it was a direct steal from the Illuminatus trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709/20 "2004-11-09T02:39:36Z")
What makes me wonder what the f\*ck the writers were smoking was the scene of the treasure hunters driving across antarctica in giant snow cats. . . . . . . . . So…our founding fathers…at some point between the writing of the Declaration of Independance, the Constitution, and fighting a couple wars, had time to go put a clue to some mysterious treasure on a forzen continent? And on a part of the continent that, even by today’s standards, is apparantly very hard to reach? 😕 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-treasure/273709.md?page=2)