National Treasure: Edge of History

➤ Rated TV-14
➤ Disney+

Disney once again hopes to tempt millennials with nostalgia, this time offering National Treasure: Edge of History. But this sequel series will leave fans of the franchise disappointed.

National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) starred Nicolas Cage as quippy puzzle-solving treasure hunter Ben Gates, but don’t expect to see Cage in the new series. The torch gets passed to a younger group of adventurers who must track down a hidden Mesoamerican treasure.

Jess Valenzuela (Lisette Olivera) is a resourceful 21-year-old who dreams of working as a code breaker for the FBI. Unbeknownst to her, she’s also the daughter of a man who belonged to a secret society of treasure hunters. Jess reconnects with her heritage when she meets retired FBI agent and grand ­master Freemason Peter Sadusky (Harvey Keitel reprising his role from the movies).

Jess and her friends must unravel the mysteries surrounding her family and the hidden treasure, but unlocking the secret proves dangerous. They’re pursued by Billie (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a ruthless antiques dealer backed by a criminal syndicate that’s also after the treasure.

The show’s idea has promise, but the creators spend too much time checking politically correct boxes and not enough time on scripts. The action advances through coincidences that are too coincidental—and the puzzles, which form the core of the film franchise, seem to be afterthoughts. Some of the characters’ actions feel contrived or simply don’t make sense, and the actors run through their lines without emotion.

It’s a shame the show lacks the personality and sparkle that made the movies so much fun.

Movies about treasure hunts

• Treasure Island / 1934
• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre / 1948
• Charade / 1963
• Time Bandits / 1981
• Raiders of the Lost Ark / 1981
• Romancing the Stone / 1984
• Aladdin / 1992
• The Count of Monte Cristo / 2002
• Holes / 2003
• Uncharted / 2022