The National Treasure series has two beloved films, and the third movie has been in limbo for years now, but every now and then new information arises, with the most recent being that the script will be sent to Nicolas Cage for approval very soon. This is huge news for any fan of the franchise, as it seems like the development is finally making some headway.
However, it’s still certainly far from the production stages, never mind its release, and fans of the Disney series will need something to tide them over until the threequel finally sees the light of day. Between a newly released video game movie, a more mature Bahamas-based adventure, and plenty of Steven Spielberg releases, there’s enough to keep fans occupied.
Uncharted (2022)
Stream On Netflix
Based on the video game series of the same name, Uncharted follows Nathan Drake and Sully traveling around the globe to find a pirate’s lost treasure. The film was criticized for being one of the biggest betrayals of source material, as the character depictions are completely unfaithful, and the movie picks and chooses bits from each game to adapt.
While fans were disappointed, it’s a perfectly enjoyable family adventure movie, and if fans are willing to look past how different it is from the games, they’ll see that it really isn’t that bad. Just like with National Treasure, the 2022 movie sees Drake and Sully racing against the bad guys to collect the treasure, but the whole concept is ridiculous because they’re not the most masterclass adventurers. But that’s what makes it such ridiculous fun.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Stream On HBO Max
National Treasure was fairly straightforward when it comes to what Benjamin Gates was looking for, and even compared to the Indiana Jones series, which the Disney franchise is so obviously influenced by, there are absolutely no supernatural elements. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, on the other hand, sees the titular character, once again, racing against the bad guys to find two parts of a triangular artifact that can bend time when they’re put together.
However, the premise of the two movies is essentially the same, and it isn’t just Jon Voight’s father figure role in them that ties them together. The 2001 release is an exceptional adventure movie full of incredible set pieces in tombs, and it’s something that the end of National Treasure: Book of Secrets was clearly influenced by. The movie is especially worth watching now that fans think Jolie should return as Lara Croft.
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Stream On Disney+
Jungle Cruise is one of the most recent adventure movies, but the story, setting, characters, and even time period couldn’t be more different from National Treasure. The film has a period setting, as it takes place in the 1910s in South America, and all the characters are so outgoing and almost caricature-like. However, the tone of the movie is so similar to National Treasure, as it has the same lighthearted comedy and the general feel of a Disney adventure film.
That was part of Jungle Cruise’s big appeal when it was first released, as so few movies like that get made anymore. It’s also worth watching now that Jungle Cruise 2 has been confirmed, and it’ll hopefully focus more on what made the film great, such as the characters and actual cruise, than the fantastical elements.
The Mummy (1999)
Stream On Peacock & Fubo TV
Though The Mummy’s legacy would ordinarily be tarnished with its two sequels and reboot, as each one is worse than the last, the 1999 movie was never considered great when it was first released. But, many 90s kids saw it in movie theaters, and as those kids are now in their 30s, some might even be critics themselves, meaning that it’s held in shockingly high regard and had also aged surprisingly well.
Audiences have grown nostalgic for practical sets and cinematography where not everything is glossy and beautiful, and that’s The Mummy in a nutshell. Not only that, but the film features some of the most entertaining characters of the 90s, and it was pretty influential, as other adventure movies completely lifted its structure, including the recently released Jungle Cruise and even National Treasure.
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (2017)
Stream On Starz
Dwayne Johnson seems to be making a name for himself as the go-to actor for adventure movies. While many might think he’s the go-to actor for anything, as he’s the most bankable star working today, he is the lead actor of so many adventure flicks, including the 2017 sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Given that the concept had changed entirely, as it’s now a video game instead of a board game, and it’s just as much as a body-swap comedy, few people had faith that it’d be any good before its release. But Johnson and company proved those skeptics completely wrong, as the film turned out great. The movie might be a little on the goofier side compared to the Nicolas Cage-led series, but it’ll still fill that adventure-movie-shaped hole in National Treasure fans’ lives.
Into The Blue (2005)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Into the Blue is a little more mature than National Treasure, as it involves drug smuggling and has way more colorful language, but the 2005 release is one of the most underrated adventure movies of the 2000s. The film follows a diver who dreams of finding one of the many lost pirate ships in The Bahamas, but his life is changed for the worse when he finds the remnants of a pirate ship. However, he also finds a crashed plane with bricks full of cocaine.
Into the Blue is one of the most stressful treasure hunt movies, as the characters’ lives go from bad to worse after they make one mistake after the next. The film isn’t exactly an uplifting Disney adventure, but the sea-based adventure flick goes way deeper.
Fool’s Gold (2008)
Stream On HBO Max
Fool’s Gold is another grounded and mature adventure movie, and it again follows a character looking for treasure in an exotic location, only this time it’s Australia. But while the film is more mature, it still features everything that makes a great four-quadrant adventure film.
The 2008 movie is full of action, comedy, and loads of romance, and while it has a low Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s a total audience-pleaser and will satisfy any fan of adventure movies. It seems Matthew McConaughey loved the adventure roles in the 2000s, as he also starred in the just-as-fun Sahara, but that was before he rebranded himself as a serious Oscar-caliber actor.
The Lost City (2022)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock appeared twice on-screen together in 2022. They recently appeared in Bullet Train, and they also shared screen time in The Lost City. The latter is about a romance novelist who finds herself lost on an uncharted island with her cover model, and she hates every minute of it.
Just like Jungle Cruise before it and National Treasure before that, the film sees the unlikely couple grow close as they try to survive through extremely strange circumstances. The film is made great by its supporting cast that includes Pitt and Daniel Radcliffe, who plays an evil billionaire, making for some hilariously cringe-worthy scenes.
The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)
Stream On HBO Max
The Adventures of Tintin is one of the most spectacular movies of the 2010s, and it doesn’t get talked about enough. The film is so technically advanced when it comes to its motion capture performances, it has incredibly digital effects, especially for the time, and, at the heart of it all is a terrific adventure story.
Director Steven Spielberg brought the character to life more than any other adaptation, and the film takes audiences on a globe-trotting adventure that harkens back to the Indiana Jones days. Not only that, but it features one of the greatest pirate movie scenes outside the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, too. The 2011 movie captured lightning in a bottle, and fans are craving a Tintin sequel.
Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)
Stream On Fubo TV & Paramount+
While any one of the Indiana Jones movies would be great to fill that National Treasure 3 void, even Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, there’s none more fitting than the third film, The Last Crusade. The movie was the final entry in a trilogy, and it perfectly concluded with Indy literally riding into the sunset, and that’s exactly what the third National Treasure should be for Benjamin Franklin Gates.
It’d be great to have several more National Treasure movies, but as it’s already been 15 years since the second film, where wanting another string of releases is asking a lot. There should be one more film with Gates as the main character, and he should be given the perfect send-off, especially as it’ll tackle the biggest question regarding page 42 of the President’s book. And if National Treasure 3 is even half the quality of The Last Crusade, fans are in for a treat.
