National Treasure: Edge of History is a joy ride through history with a compelling cast of new characters in a familiar world. Spun off from the Nicolas Cage films of the early 2000’s, National Treasure: Edge of History has a tough road to travel in appealing to fans of the movies while creating dynamic new characters and stories. The show succeeds on all fronts. Rather than trying to start brand new, National Treasure: Edge of History embraces the lore and fanfare of the movies by making the characters and tales from the films a cornerstone to this new series.
We meet Jess (Lisette Olivera) who is working in a storage facility and is given the job of figuring out the identity of the delinquent owner of a locker with overdue bills. Her brilliance leads her to the home of Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) and life will never be the same for Jess.
Sadusky is at the end of his life and explains to Jess about the great treasure that is associated with the symbol on her necklace, and then gives her a clue on where to find an important artifact. Jess is surprised by the revelation but doesn’t believe the dying man. Returning home, the inquisitive and intelligent Jess shows her friends Tasha, Oren, and Ethan (Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Jordan Rodrigues) what she has learned, and before the group of friends knows it, they are in the middle of a dangerous pursuit to find a treasure that is a combination of Maya, Aztec, and Inca wealth.
Hot on their trail is Billie Pearce (Catherine Zeta-Jones) who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, including killing for it.
It can be difficult to embrace a new property that is the offspring of a fan favorite movie franchise, but National Treasure: Edge of History manages to use the formula which made the movies box office gold and create a new and dynamic storyline which fits in perfectly with the established movie franchise.
I wondered if they would completely ignore the movies and try to make their own story with no mention of the films. With the return of Justin Bartha as Riley Poole, (He was excellent in the films, and helped bring humor to the movies that was badly needed which made the story so much fun.), I knew the series wasn’t going to forgo the cinematic connection.
How else could the show bring the movie world to the series? Having the first episode start with Harvey Keitel in his Sadusky role describing the great treasure of Mesoamerica which was hidden from Cortes was the perfect first step. Then having Oren mention how he listens to Riley Poole’s podcast was another excellent inclusion which shows the viewers that this is a familiar world and it's okay to embrace the new story.
Much of the interest for the show rests on the shoulders of Lisette Olivera. Jess is crucial to hooking the audience. We must embrace her, root for her, and care about her success. Lisette Olivera is exceptional in the role of Jess. She not only channels the innate curiosity and intelligence that Cage’s Ben Gates showed in the films, but we see Jess as a young adult striving to make it in the world. There are real stakes in the game for Jess. She has DACA and if she is involved in anything illegal it could result in her being deported. She chooses to act because sometimes one must take a bold and dangerous action that might be wrong, to do the right thing. Such action is how Benjamin Franklin Gates lives his life too.
Jess has her cadre of friends which allows us to connect with a variety of characters. Zuri Reed’s Tasha is the intelligent computer genius that every good treasure hunter needs in the 21st Century. Antonio Cipriano’s Oren is the passionate clumsy friend who means well and contributes by motivating the group. Jordan Rodrigues’ Ethan is the skeptical best friend that plays along because he cares about Jess. Jake Austin Walker as Liam Sadusky is the outsider who Jess gravitates to and will help restore his faith in his grandfather Peter.
For all the good, there must be an eloquent dangerous villain who is the opposite of our hero. In this case, Catherine Zeta-Jones lets loose as Billie Pierce. She is unequivocally bad, while at the same point shows some likable attributes. Zeta-Jones chews up the scenery with delight, and she makes every scene she is in a splendid joy.
Classic adventure stories need to have a vile villain and an honest hero to make the story work. National Treasure: Edge of History is the perfect blend of these standard tropes filled to the brim with great performances by a cast with perfect chemistry. Having watched the first four episodes I am pleased to say that the adventure starts immediately and includes stops at some notable places.
Fans of the films will be comforted by the many connections brought into the series including the return of Justin Bartha as Riley Poole, and the melodic theme from composer Trevor Rabin. Moreover, National Treasure: Edge of History will stand tall as an original fun filled adventure that everyone will love.