Critic Reviews
-
Trevor Johnston, Time Out
A mild holiday caper, for the wettest of afternoons.
-
Ed Park, Village Voice
National Treasure gets more entertaining as the preposterousness rises.
-
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
So bad on so many levels.
-
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly
Cage? Movie star as social studies teacher.
-
Mike Clark, USA Today
Ten minutes into the picture, you're searching the screen for life-support machines.
-
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
This infantile excuse for an adventure yarn plays more like a triple-cross between The DaVinci Code, CSI, and The Amazing Race than Raiders of the Lost Ark.
-
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Historical adventure is a fun romp for tweens and up.
-
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Not only safe for Junior and Grandma but also pretty entertaining.
-
James Mottram, Film4
Turteltaub manages to stitch it all together well enough so that the ludicrous nature of the characters' quest doesn't hit you until the final credits roll.
-
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
It's light romance, light comedy, light PG action violence, and a light romp through American history. But that's all it set out to be.
-
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
There's a comfortable, cozy feeling about knowing that everything you expect to happen does happen. (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
-
Peter T. Chattaway, Christianity Today
If you can see the film through the eyes of a child -- one who thinks a cheesy thriller is the ideal way to pick up new facts about history -- then this isn't that bad a yarn.
-
Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat
Has almost nothing to recommend it (Justin Bartha's performance being the lone high point), not even any gnarly explosions, which doesn't bode well for our man Bruckheimer.
-
, Empire Magazine
Rubbish, certainly, but not without a certain charming stupidity.
Read all 14 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
-
Fast paced, thrilling and hugely entertaining adventure film full of edge of your seat moments. National Treasure is everything that you could wish from a perfect entertainment and unlike Ron Howard's dull and flawed film adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, National… More
Fast paced, thrilling and hugely entertaining adventure film full of edge of your seat moments. National Treasure is everything that you could wish from a perfect entertainment and unlike Ron Howard's dull and flawed film adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure also knows how to put some humour in it too.
Director Jon Turteltaub understands perfectly the balance between action and characters. He takes enough time to make us care about characters in here. Turteltaub also pulls out one of the most charismatic and best performances from actor Nicolas Cage who is notoriously famous of his over-acting manners. Here Cage carries film perfectly with his charisma and reminds us in the audience that he is actually a great actor and not a screaming clown. He just needs a good director who can get the best out of him. There are also good actors like Sean Bean, Diane Kruger and Jon Voight who succeeds in their roles. More unknown Justin Bartha has a role of necessary comedic sidekick and is actually quite ok in his role as a Cage's right hand. In a films like this sidekicks does often feel pointless and end up being more annoying than necessary. Bartha instead seems to understand to play low profile.
What fascinated me the most in National Treasure was it's groovy touch of marrying modern hight-tech action with old-school adventure themes. This film is everything that Steven Spielberg's disappointing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull should have been. What more can i say to recommend National Treasure. As i mentioned earlier this film gets pretty close of being a perfect entertainment with perfect production values. Everything from Trevor Rabin's dynamic score to Caleb Deschanel's moody cinematography is top notch here. National Treasure may not be a masterpiece but it is damn good fun and suitable for the whole family. I highly recommend this great adventure film for everyone.
-
-
Although technically the film wasn't very good (the acting was ok at best and the main plot details we pretty obvious) I had quite a lot of fun watching it. I was able to get into the story and it felt like I was going on this journey with them. I really liked the figuring out… More
Although technically the film wasn't very good (the acting was ok at best and the main plot details we pretty obvious) I had quite a lot of fun watching it. I was able to get into the story and it felt like I was going on this journey with them. I really liked the figuring out the riddles and the adventures and it seems this film is a guilty pleasure of mine. It's kind of a second rate Da Vinci Code/Angels and Demons.
-
This film is so much fun! I love History and the film is pretty exciting, and honestly, I can't complain with that. The script and acting is meh, but the movie is fun and characters are likable. I definitely recommend this one.
-
NATIONAL TREASURE isn't great, but it's often a fun family action movie. I have to give it the benefit of the doubt, since I don't know if half of the information it presents is even factual (you can't expect anything like a documentary from Disney, anyway), but… More
NATIONAL TREASURE isn't great, but it's often a fun family action movie. I have to give it the benefit of the doubt, since I don't know if half of the information it presents is even factual (you can't expect anything like a documentary from Disney, anyway), but this is also very flawed, complex, and way too long.
-
A great Nicolas Cage movie filled with action and adventure :) :) :)
-
I'm one of the only people who CAN'T stand this film. It's slow, poorly acted, and annoying. I didn't care for the characters once during the film.
-
This movie was good, but no way near great. Nicolas Cage makes a lot of bad movies these days so its good to see him make a good movie for once. It had a good plot, the minor characters were boring. he action scenes were not needed, their treasure hunters, not John Mclain. In the… More
This movie was good, but no way near great. Nicolas Cage makes a lot of bad movies these days so its good to see him make a good movie for once. It had a good plot, the minor characters were boring. he action scenes were not needed, their treasure hunters, not John Mclain. In the end its only worth one or two watches.
-
National Treasure is an entertaining ripoff of Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code, a comparison that I've seen pretty much everywhere on the internet. National Treasure takes the best elements of both films, the puzzle solving from Da Vinci Code and the thrilling adventure from… More
National Treasure is an entertaining ripoff of Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code, a comparison that I've seen pretty much everywhere on the internet. National Treasure takes the best elements of both films, the puzzle solving from Da Vinci Code and the thrilling adventure from Indiana Jones and waters it down for a family friendly oriented adventure. This film, obviously nothing original is still fun entertainment if you're in the mood for something silly. National Treasure is not everyones cup of tea, but it might appeal to fans of mindless action adventures. Nicholas Cage who is not that talented, gives a good enough performance that holds the film together. Cage plays Benjamin Gates a treasure hunter a la Indiana Jones who must race against his foe, Ian Howe (Sean Bean) to discover a treasure. Plot is simple enough, but it's still thrilling, and packed with intriguing. The film could have been better, but I was fairly entertained. The film has a decent enough cast alongside Cage and Bean. National Treasure is pure entertainment and though the film is silly and cliched, it manages to still be a good film. The film is a fun adventure picture that if you're in the right mood, you can forgive the fact that it's silly. But the thing is, the film is meant to be silly, and is meant to be cliched. Right off the bat you know that the formula used for National Treasure has been used before, used before and better done. In the end, its a popcorn adventure film, and it delivers the thrills even if its not absolutely perfect. A good film, but nothing truly great or spectacular.
-
It's pure adrenaline-pumping movie enjoyment. A great entertainment ride that delivers. A spectacular first-rate adventure filled with pulse-pounding action, dazzling chases, gripping mystery, refreshing humor and non-stop fun. One incredibly exciting and exhilarating movie.… More
It's pure adrenaline-pumping movie enjoyment. A great entertainment ride that delivers. A spectacular first-rate adventure filled with pulse-pounding action, dazzling chases, gripping mystery, refreshing humor and non-stop fun. One incredibly exciting and exhilarating movie. You'll be checking your pulse every step of the way. The cast is charming and satisfying. Nicolas Cage is terrific. Raiders of the Lost Ark meets The Da Vinci code. A mixture of James Bond and Indiana Jones. A classic joy-ride that you will love to see again and again.
-
<i>Can I marry your brain?</i>
This was an awesome movie that I can watch over and over again without getting tired or bored! This was cleverly done. Rhiley Poole was freaking funny. I recommend everyone to watch it. It's a very exciting movie that won't make… More
<i>Can I marry your brain?</i>
This was an awesome movie that I can watch over and over again without getting tired or bored! This was cleverly done. Rhiley Poole was freaking funny. I recommend everyone to watch it. It's a very exciting movie that won't make you disappoint (unless your feelings is in coma).
-
-
"Why can't they just say, 'go to this place, and here is the treasure; spend it wisely'?"
Let's start with the most important thing: that Riley character was extremely annoying. He's officially in my annoying character hall of fame. I don't… More
"Why can't they just say, 'go to this place, and here is the treasure; spend it wisely'?"
Let's start with the most important thing: that Riley character was extremely annoying. He's officially in my annoying character hall of fame. I don't know if be was supposed to be funny, or what, but the parts of the movie where he kept his mouth closed were my very favorites. Just had to put that out there.
As for the actual review, it's hardly a secret that I'm not much of a Nicholas Cage fan. His method of acting seems to be just playing the same character in nearly every movie of his that I've seen, from Gone in 60 Seconds to Ghost Rider. Needless to say, I didn't see National Treasure because of him. I did want to see more of Diane Kruger's movies, however, and the trailer made it seem like a more fun version of The Da Vinci Code, so I thought I'd give it a try. And that's basically what it turned out to be. It didn't change my opinion of Mr. Cage's acting skills, but I liked it.
National Treasure is a combination of a heist film, an adventure film, and a historical mystery, wrapped in a friendly, summer blockbuster wrapper. It moves along quite quickly, and stays fairly interesting (as well as slightly predictable) from beginning to end. Lots of conspiracy threads about the nation's founders and the Freemasons are drawn together in a way that would make Dan Brown proud, but it never suffers from the forced grasps at importance that the two Robert Langdon movies have unfortunately buckled under. If you're looking for a family-friendly adventure movie that gives history a fantastical spin, you could do a lot worse than National Treasure.
-
This very exciting treasure hunt offers everything you'd expect from the genre. Good action scenes, adrenaline, humor, riddles, interesting locations and lovable characters. Especially Justin Bartha as comic relief shines and steals many scenes he is in. It's just all around… More
This very exciting treasure hunt offers everything you'd expect from the genre. Good action scenes, adrenaline, humor, riddles, interesting locations and lovable characters. Especially Justin Bartha as comic relief shines and steals many scenes he is in. It's just all around perfect entertainment without regrets and doesn't give you time to breathe or think about the logic of some of the conclusions. Taking place at some locations I've visited in the US, the film holds a very special place in my heart for personal reasons too, admittedly.
-
I really liked this movie but for some reason doesn't seem too original!
-
Nicolas Cage is a fourth generation treasure hunter who discovers the Templar Knights' treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. He has to stop Sean Bean and his men from looting the treasure and destroying national artefacts. If you liked Indiana Jones or the… More
Nicolas Cage is a fourth generation treasure hunter who discovers the Templar Knights' treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. He has to stop Sean Bean and his men from looting the treasure and destroying national artefacts. If you liked Indiana Jones or the Da Vinci Code you will like this movie full of adventure, history and fantasy. Good story. Great cast.
-
National Treasure is a cross between Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code. It's not as good as Indiana Jones but it's as crap as The Da Vinci Code.
-
I LOVE this kind of movie! The ones where the leading character tries to find clues, interpret them, and then go exploring/investigating, like the National Treasure series, and of course, the Indiana Jones'es. Both movies in this series so far are awesome, but this one's a… More
I LOVE this kind of movie! The ones where the leading character tries to find clues, interpret them, and then go exploring/investigating, like the National Treasure series, and of course, the Indiana Jones'es. Both movies in this series so far are awesome, but this one's a little better, and an all-time favorite of mine!
-
-
i like this movie i like the history and i like the storyline its fantastic and interesting with a great cast and great acting and has humour as well really worth a watch!
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services