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National Treasure (2004)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 5.3/10
Reviews Counted: 169
Fresh: 75 | Rotten: 94

National Treasure is no treasure, but it's a fun ride for those who can forgive its highly improbable plot.

Average Rating: 4.9/10
Critic Reviews: 36
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 25

National Treasure is no treasure, but it's a fun ride for those who can forgive its highly improbable plot.

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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 847,300

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Movie Info

A man sets out to steal a lost fortune in order to save it in this adventure drama from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) is an archeologist who is from the eighth generation of a family who has shared an unusual quest. As Gates-family legend has it, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin hid a massive cache of gold during the waning days of the Revolutionary War and left clues as to its whereabouts in the original drafts of the Constitution

PG, 2 hr. 10 min.

Action & Adventure

Directed By: Jon Turteltaub

Written By: Cormac Wibberly, Marianne Wibberly

In Theaters: Nov 19, 2004 Wide

On DVD: May 3, 2005

Box Office:$173.0M

Buena Vista

National Treasure gets more entertaining as the preposterousness rises.

November 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Village Voice

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Ed Park

Village Voice

Top Critic

So bad on so many levels.

November 22, 2004 Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper

| Comment (1)

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

Cage? Movie star as social studies teacher.

November 20, 2004 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Top Critic

Ten minutes into the picture, you're searching the screen for life-support machines.

November 19, 2004 Full Review Source: USA Today

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Mike Clark

USA Today

Top Critic

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.

November 19, 2004 Full Review Source: ReelViews

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Top Critic

Sluggish for a Jerry Bruckheimer production, but maybe the kids will learn something.

November 19, 2004 Full Review Source: Newsday

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Gene Seymour

Newsday

Top Critic

Historical adventure is a fun romp for tweens and up.

December 26, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Not only safe for Junior and Grandma but also pretty entertaining.

August 25, 2008 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

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Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

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.

July 23, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

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James Mottram

Film4

It's so completely okay it hurts. It would make a perfect screensaver.

May 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Projection Booth

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Rob Humanick

Projection Booth

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.

April 27, 2008 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

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James Plath

Movie Metropolis

There's a comfortable, cozy feeling about knowing that everything you expect to happen does happen. (2-Disc Collector's Edition)

December 17, 2007 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

| Comment (1)

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

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.

September 27, 2006 Comment (1)

Peter T. Chattaway

Christianity Today Source: Christianity Today

A mild holiday caper, for the wettest of afternoons.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

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Trevor Johnston

Time Out

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.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat

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Pete Vonder Haar

Film Threat

Rubbish, certainly, but not without a certain charming stupidity.

November 3, 2005 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine

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Empire Magazine

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Audience Reviews for National Treasure

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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.

August 3, 2010

Jameson Worley

Super Reviewer

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.

June 29, 2011

Alexander Diminiano

Super Reviewer

National Treasure Quotes

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1. Riley Poole: I'd love to go shopping to, but we don't have any money.
– Submitted by T R (28 days ago)
1. Ian Howe: I have organized several dealings of... Mmmm... questionable legality.
– Submitted by T R (28 days ago)
1. Riley Poole: It's a large, blueish green man with a strange looking goatee. I'm guessing that's significant.
– Submitted by T R (28 days ago)
1. Riley Poole: Your dad's got a sweet ride.
– Submitted by Diego T (2 months ago)
1. Riley Poole: I would'a dropped you both. Freaks.
– Submitted by Diego T (2 months ago)

Character	Quote
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Latest News for National Treasure

April 1, 2010:

Bruckheimer Confirms National Treasure III
You knew this was coming: Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that development is under way on a third...

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...

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