National Treasure (2004)
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Critics Consensus: National Treasure is no treasure, but it's a fun ride for those who can forgive its highly improbable plot.
Critics Consensus: National Treasure is no treasure, but it's a fun ride for those who can forgive its highly improbable plot.
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Movie Info
Benjamin Franklin Gates is a third generation treasure hunter. All his life, Gates has been searching for a treasure no one believed existed: amassed through the ages, moved across continents, to become the greatest treasure the world has ever known. Hidden by our Founding Fathers, they left clues to the Treasure's location right before our eyes--from our nation's birthplace, to the nation's capitol, to clues buried within the symbols on the dollar bill. Gates' life-long journey leads him to the … More
- Rating:
- PG (for action violence and some scary images)
- Genre:
- Action & Adventure
- Directed By:
- Jon Turteltaub
- Written By:
- Cormac Wibberly , Marianne Wibberly , Cormac Wibberley , Jim Kouf , Marianne Wibberley
- In Theaters:
- Nov 19, 2004 Wide
- On DVD:
- May 3, 2005
- US Box Office:
- $173.0M
- Runtime:
Cast
as Ben Gates
as Abigail Chase
as Riley Poole
as Ian Howe
as Patrick Gates
as Agent Sadusky
as John Adams Gates
as Shaw
as Young Ben Gates
as Powell
as Shippen
as Phil
as Agent Dawes
as Agent Johnson
as Agent Hendricks
as Agent Colfax
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LoginCritic Reviews for National Treasure
All Critics (177) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (75) | Rotten (94) | DVD (49)
Historical adventure is a fun romp for tweens and up.
Though Turtletaub's direction is inspired, everything else from acting, to plot, and dialogue falls flat...
Not only safe for Junior and Grandma but also pretty entertaining.
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.
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.
A mild holiday caper, for the wettest of afternoons.
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.
The treasure hunt is cool in this DVD, it's a whole game of numbers and quizzes go get to some of the Easter eggs.
The film plays on every cliché and every stereotype imaginable, and part of its charm is playing them exactly to an audience's happiest expectations.
The historical touches make the film more akin to classics like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" than to duds like "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (and ended simultaneously)".
A big, overblown wazoo of absurdity.
This is a bravura film that genuinely understands the nature of true family entertainment and provides it in spades.
National Treasure may be dumb and relatively short on action scenes, but it's still a lot of fun, largely thanks to Cage and Bartha.
This is Bruckheimer's niche. Don't ever expect him to adapt a Nicholas Sparks book into a film any time soon.
Few can argue that the movie is totally unbelievable, but if one is able to leave all sense of logic at the door, it's very hard not to have a darn good time in the process.
Stealing the Declaration of Indepenence is easy - making an interesting film is tough!
... a semi-historical mystery-thriller... too many chases and clichés keep this good movie from being great.
This movie couldn't be more stale if it'd been dug up by archaeologists.
All of this could have been lots of fun. If only Harrison Ford, or someone just as good, had played Ben.
Works fairly well as slick, enjoyable hooey… in its general approach if not all particulars, this could represent a promising new approach in family entertainment.
Audience Reviews for National Treasure
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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.
MoreSuper Reviewer
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.
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Super Reviewer
National Treasure Quotes
- Riley Poole:
- (To Ben) Can I marry your brain?
- Riley Poole:
- For the record, Ben, I like the house.
- Benjamin Franklin Gates:
- You know, I chose this estate because in 1812 Charles Carroll met-
- Riley Poole:
- Yeah, someone that did something in history and had fun. Great. Wonderful. Could have had a bigger house!
- Benjamin Franklin Gates:
- I'm so sorry I dropped you - I had to save the Declaration!
- Dr. Abigail Chase:
- No, don't be. I would have done exactly the same to you.
- Benjamin Franklin Gates:
- Really?
- Dr. Abigail Chase:
- Yeah
- Riley Poole:
- I would've dropped you both! Freaks.
- Patrick Henry Gates:
- And he dragged you two into this nonsense?
- Dr. Abigail Chase:
- 'Literally'
- Riley Poole:
- I volunteered!
- Patrick Henry Gates:
- Well un-volunteer before you waste your life!
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