National Treasure

 

Good movie. I liked Nicholas Cage’s quirky character…played well off of his partner Riley (or was it Whiley…Cage’s pronunciation could have been better).

This truly was an enjoyable adventure film. It had a fresh plot and was like a modern Indiana Jones. Good focus on American History which made it even more enjoyable for me (I love American History!). Want to relive the treasure hunt? Highlight inside the box for your map.

Spoiler Alert! (place and hold your mouse over the bar to see)

 

The following are the clues that lead Benjamin Gates (Nicholas Cage) to the greatest treasure in the world.

  1. The secret lies with Charlotte is the first clue, entrusted to the Gates family in 1812.

  2. Based on historical evidence and Riley’s geographical mapping algorithm, the Charlotte is somewhere in the frozen Arctic Tundra.

  3. Aboard the Charlotte is an ivory carved pipe. Using blood and a scrap of parchment, the pipe stem contains a riddle indicating that the next clue was on the back of the Declaration of Independence.

  4. After stealing the Declaration of Independence and revealing the hidden codes on the back, the riddle again reveals the next step…an ancient code involving the Ben Franklin-penned Silence Dogood letters.

  5. The code in the letters leads to the Independence Hall clock tower in Philadelphia. At 2:20 (the time indicated on the back of the $100 dollar bill), the shadow of the bell tower points to a brick with Masonic symbols on it.

  6. The brick contains special glasses with varying shades of lenses, which when combined reveal a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence and more riddles.

  7. The map leads them to a grave in the basement of the Trinity Church along Wall Street.

  8. Inside the grave and through the catacombs places them at a “dead-end” where the false clue involving the lantern is used to throw off the bad guys’ scent.

  9. The pipe (from the Charlotte) opens the door to the treasure room.

 

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