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.
Comment
07/23/08
National Treasure (2004)
43
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:166
Fresh:72
Rotten:94
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: National Treasure is no treasure, but it's a fun ride for those who can forgive its highly improbable plot.
Runtime: 2 hrs 11 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: A secret from our nation's past will lead to the greatest adventure in history. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Pirates of the Caribbean,""The Rock," and "Armageddon") and director Jon Turteltaub... [More]
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Reviews for National Treasure
Top CriticNational Treasure may be dumb and relatively short on action scenes, but it's still a lot of fun, largely thanks to Cage and Bartha.
12/27/04
About as edgy as a child-friendly TV movie.... And despite being at least a half hour too long, it's great fun while it lasts.
11/30/04
This is a bravura film that genuinely understands the nature of true family entertainment and provides it in spades.
01/15/05
A mild holiday caper, for the wettest of afternoons.
06/24/06
Top CriticThis movie couldn't be more stale if it'd been dug up by archaeologists.
12/14/04
Top CriticAlluringly over-the-top without being overcooked.
11/18/04
A joyfully convoluted adventure yarn that moves lickety-split through clichés, plot holes and overall narrative mayhem until the whole unlikely rig screeches to a halt.
11/19/04
While it may be blasphemous to recommend 'National Treasure', it's probably not far off the mark to say [it will] keep fanatical fans of high-tech hesit movies content.
11/17/04
[Cage] ust cannot cut it playing an intellectual, and his Ben is convincing only in the scenes where he is evading bullets or hanging by one hand over an abyss.
12/03/04
Fluffy, frenetic and sometimes downright farcical, National Treasure makes gleeful fun of itself while leading us popcorn-munching escapists down a tangled, painless adventure trail.
11/18/04
None of this should work, but in the best Bruckheimer tradition, it does.
11/19/04
Great escapism.
11/19/04
Taken simply as a popcorn flick, National Treasure has its pleasures.
11/19/04
Treasure may fall a notch below Pirates of the Caribbean on the pleasureometer, but it does give American history sex appeal and celebrates a guy who relies on brainware rather than gadgets.
11/18/04
The movie gets a little cheesy (with some definite Raiders of the Lost Ark moments), but it's got humor, a little suspense, and lots of action.
11/19/04
An adventure zipped up with a light smattering of history.
11/18/04
The best cinematic comfort food you could ask for.
11/19/04
As realism, Turtletaub's movie flops. As escapism, though, grab the popcorn, kick your feet up, and have a blast.
12/02/04
It might feel like a Dan Brown bestseller. But Americans have an appetite for historical mysteries… and capitalizing on that appetite is about as American as you can get.
11/19/04
Latest News for National Treasure
September 25, 2008:
Nic Cage Officially Hunting for More National Treasure 
To no one's surprise, Disney is officially moving forward with "National Treasure 3," as announced yesterday by Nicolas Cage, Jerry Bruckheimer, and studio executive Dick Cook. More...
December 20, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Five New Films Fight For Holiday Cheer
Moviegoers are in for a feast as studios will unleash a wide menu of new options on Friday trying to reach holiday patrons on the weekend before Santa comes to town. With so... More...
December 17, 2007:
Talks Begin for National Treasure 3
National Treasure was never intended to be a franchise. When the first installment did well, the filmmakers started from scratch to come up with a sequel. This time, though,... More...
October 01, 2007:
National Treasure 2 Poster Online!
We've seen stills and a pair of trailers for National Treasure: Book of Secrets, due December 21. How's about a poster? More...
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