National Treasure: Edge of History

Charming young adult spinoff of the National Treasure film franchise, where we make the refreshing acquaintance of a heroine whose superpower is her wits. [2 - 15 Jan 2023, p.6]

I gave this show every benefit of the doubt, I wanted to get on board so badly, but so far the show isn’t a treasure worth searching for. Edge of History needs fun historic riddles with zany characters. But instead the show is just riddled with missed opportunities.

Do you miss noise and bombast? Do you miss goodhearted, mindless entertainment? Do you miss the 80s? The 90s? Well, take heart, my friends, because they’re all back, courtesy of the new Disney+ series National Treasure: Edge of History.

While Olivera makes an appealing lead, the too-familiar romantic wrinkles and hormonal entanglements prove to be more of a distraction than an enhancement, leaving behind a series that resembles its papi just enough to be sporadically fun, but one that makes the trip to where X marks the spot feel that much longer.

It just feels like one of those shows that doesn’t trust its audience, spelling every emotional beat and bland plot development out in bold, highlighted dialogue. Teen viewers are smarter than Hollywood thinks. They always have been. The real mystery is why writers never figure that out.

It’d be too much to expect in-depth cultural analysis from a franchise that’s mostly about people solving ridiculous puzzles left by historical figures. ... The series’ attempts to capture Gen Z culture more broadly are similarly half-assed. ... Edge of History‘s most fatal affliction, however, is its total lack of charisma.

The latest revival of a popular movie series as a lamer Disney+ affair, which takes its predecessors’ historical treasure-hunting adventure and gives it an insufferable tween spin.

I loved the movies. The characters were funny, smart and classy. This tv show is trying to fill those shoes with young, woke, immature minds. Disney spent more time on making sure this tv show was diverse and woke than focusing on a good story to live up to movies standards.

Copy to review ...

It’s not awful because it’s ‘woke’, most of which is ironic, and it’s not awful because it’s full of women. Honestly, National Treasure wasn’t ever a cultural bastion of masculinity. Seriously, it’s National Treasure. No, it’s awful because the writing is utter **** The plot is contrived beyond the pale and the cast are dying on their feet, without a shred of charisma to make it all go down smooth. The lead, in all fairness, is probably a fine actor but she labours under a exposition-heavy script full of misplaced millennial ‘humour’. The ensemble are bland at best, and club-your-head-off-a-wall-bad at their worst.

I am so disappointed with Disney. I love the original National Treasure movie with Nicholas Cage. I wanted to love this new show so much, but all Disney did was make more of this woke bull@#$%. Listen Disney: You don't improve the world or your image by subscribing to some "patriarchy" crap and then going the other extreme with feminism. Additionally, you're obviously hiring directors who are qualified based upon their gender/race versus their talent because this script could have been written better by someone in a laundromat. Again, I'm really disappointed by the direction you've taken to try and come up on the "right" side of history. It's obvious and you've lost the beat and subscribed to some crazy left-wing crap. Get your stuff together Disney, please. You're losing your good name for what you used to be known for: great stories, great execution, great fun. Now it's all about your agenda. Just stop!!!

Loved the movies but this is horrible!! It's not witty or smart, just OP characters that jump to conclusions quickly on barely any information and somehow are always right. Stopped watching after the second episode. Disney has fully lost its touch. Don't watch this!