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National Treasure
2004 131 min United States of America PG 12+
★6.5
Adventure, Action, Thriller, Mystery
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Modern treasure hunters, led by archaeologist Ben Gates, search for a chest of riches rumored to have been stashed away by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War. The chest's whereabouts may lie in secret clues embedded in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and Gates is in a race to find the gold before his enemies do.
Budget:
$100M
US Gross:
$173.01M
Worldwide:
$347.5M
Starring
Nicolas Cage
Actor
Diane Kruger
Actor
Justin Bartha
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2005
— Best Action, Adventure or Thriller
Saturn Awards 2005
— Best Supporting Actress
Key opinion
National Treasure is a quintessential family-friendly adventure film that thrives on its fast-paced, entertaining premise despite its historical inaccuracies. While critics often dismiss the script as implausible or formulaic, audiences largely embrace the movie as a fun, nostalgic, and engaging spectacle anchored by Nicolas Cage’s charismatic performance.
| Acting | Nicolas Cage delivers an engaging and unheroic performance that serves as the film's primary strength. | |
| Pacing | The film successfully maintains a brisk, high-energy rhythm that keeps viewers entertained despite a nonsensical plot. | |
| Screenplay | The script leans heavily on formulaic tropes, leading to mixed reactions regarding its balance of wit versus predictable narrative beats. | |
| Theme | Views on the historical accuracy are polarized: some appreciate the inspiration to research American history, while others condemn the premise as a speculative, ego-driven fantasy. | |
| Acting | The portrayal of the villain is inconsistent, with some viewers finding him a compelling antagonist while others view him as shallow and poorly defined. |