National Treasure

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2:22

National Treasure

PG

2004

2h 10m

Adventure

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

47%

Tomatometer

176 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Historian and code-breaker Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) has been searching his whole life for a rumored treasure dating back to the creation of the United States. Joining an expedition led by fellow treasure hunter Ian Howe (Sean Bean), Gates finds an ice-locked Colonial ship in the Arctic Circle that contains a clue linking the treasure to the Declaration of Independence. But when Howe betrays him, Gates has to race to get to the document ahead of his so-called colleague.

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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.

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Matthew Rozsa

Salon.com

07/04/2019

3/4

It is a definitely guilty pleasure, and 90 percent of the reason why can be summed up in two words: Nicolas Cage.

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

01/08/2019

2/4

There might be too many inaccuracies in the plot, the mix of the past and the present is naive and at times downright silly but makes for fun viewing if you don't put your thinking caps on. The film has enough to keep you involved.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/26/2010

2/5

Historical adventure is a fun romp for tweens and up.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

02/06/2025

6/10

It’s never as good as the properties it apes (some of which are copied copiously and brazenly; it struggles with a unique identity), but it’s still routinely funny and entertaining.

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Jason Delgado

Film Threat

07/04/2022

7/10

Fire up the grill and enjoy a little Cage madness mashed together with some over-the-top Jerry Bruckheimer action!

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Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

11/18/2019

D

Directed by Jon Turteltaub, National Treasure is nothing but a series of silly stunts and chases that just rush by.

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LeBron J.

@zcookie 6d

I love this movie even tho I don’t know what the Declaration of Independence is

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Jason R

@J-Rush1411 Jun 25

It has a good storyline that keeps you interested from start to finish, the characters are likeable, added a little romance and yeah it's worth a watch

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Adelay C.

@27adeco Jun 16

Sure, the plot is concerningly unrealistic. Nonetheless, I found it enjoyable, entertaining, and I appreciate that it gave, at the very least, a slight nod to American history.

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Paul S

@PManRager Jun 8

While I don't think it had the most sound plot, this movie was still incredibly enjoyable. Every piece of the mystery was intriguing in its own way, and I was left glued to the screen as the adventure unfolded. I definitely recommend this for action, adventure, history, and mystery fans!

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Matthew D

@OceanSage May 25

National Treasure is infinitely rewatchable with delightful acting from Diane Kruger, Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, and Sean Bean. Director Jon Turteltaub’s action-adventure comedy thriller National Treasure (2004) is super entertaining. I have seen this movie dozens of times on television and remember it fondly from seeing it in theaters. It is so funny, clever, playful, creative, and exciting. Turteltaub makes the chases tense. I just really enjoy these movies and find them comforting at this point. Nicolas Cage is fantastic at babbling out historical facts and conspiracy theories as National Treasure’s determined hero Benjamin Franklin Gates. Sean Bean is stern and violent as the villain Ian Howe. Diane Kruger is breathtaking and very fun as archivist Dr. Abigail Chase, who gets roped along for the ride. Justin Bartha is hilarious. Harvey Keitel is fantastic as the shrewd and quick thinking FBI Special Agent Peter Sadusky.

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Leslie K.

@Wilbur380 Apr 23

I truly enjoyed this movie. History class woven into a great enjoyable ride. It’s a repeat movie.

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Jon Turteltaub

Director

Nicolas Cage

Ben Gates

Diane Kruger

Abigail Chase

Justin Bartha

Riley Poole

Sean Bean

Ian Howe

Jon Voight

Patrick Gates

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Synopsis

Historian and code-breaker Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) has been searching his whole life for a rumored treasure dating back to the creation of the United States. Joining an expedition led by fellow treasure hunter Ian Howe (Sean Bean), Gates finds an ice-locked Colonial ship in the Arctic Circle that contains a clue linking the treasure to the Declaration of Independence. But when Howe betrays him, Gates has to race to get to the document ahead of his so-called colleague.

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Producer: Oren Aviv, Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Ted Elliott, E. Max Frye, Jim Kouf, Marianne Wibberley, Cormac Wibberley
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Declaration Productions Inc., Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Junction
Rating: PG (Some Scary Images|Action/Violence)
Genre: Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $173.0M
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)