Benjamin Gates et le Trésor des Templiers

20 November 2004. National Treasure is the all-American movie about good vs. evil which is just what the American audience needs at this time in the face of America's war in Iraq. With a great dose of Lara Croft's lofty beginning theme along with Raiders of the Lost Ark sort of comedy and action adventure, throw in some nice high-tech, Enemy of the State themes and this movie is a gang-buster of a movie for the American public. It starts out with such action that it has difficulty keeping up the pace and the editing become a problem through its length and slower pace that it seems too long until the exciting climax that avoids the unbelievable ending of most movies. The romance and the nice contrast of bad guy-blow'em approach vs. the more subtle good guy approach makes this movie enjoyable. This is a great movie of the moment, for its time and audience, though not a classic by any means, it's great entertainment of the moment. Eight out of Ten Stars.

Here we have a classical Nicholas Cage film that will carry into the future. It is the peak of 'follow the clues' type of adventure film. The premise is just obscene enough to create this funny air over the movie and has enough twists and turns that keep the audience engaged. The villain is a very standard villain but it is nice that they nearly mirror our heroes in treasure hunting prowess. It is simple and not necessarily the most impressive but overall I would have to consider it one of the quintessential Nick Cage films.

Very fun and entertaining movie. Some good action, comedy, and general excitement. there are also some cheesy moments but nothing too severe. i miss nicholas cage in his prime. (about 3 viewings)

"National Treasure" is a thriller that was obviously targeted for young audiences. John Turtletaub, its director, has created a film that will resonate with those audiences because of the great ride and the adventure it depicts. On the other hand, heaven help us, should anyone feel inspired to emulate the hero of the film and attempts to do something similar, which in a way, doesn't say much about the security in guarding the real "natural treasures" of the country.

If we can believe Ben Gates can pull the caper, then there's no problem in enjoying this film, which offers an action packed couple of hours that could have been trimmed a little bit to make it even better.

Not being a Nicolas Cage fan, one was prepared for the worst, but this is one of the films in which Mr. Cage is at his mellowest intensity and it's easy to tolerate his antics. Diane Kreuger is a beautiful addition to the film that pays well. Justin Bartha does what he can being a computer nerd and pulling fantastic stuff to help his friend. Sean Bean, Christopher Plummer and Jon Voight, are seen in supporting roles.

This is a film that will play well with young minds and with adults that will allow for the silliness of the situation at hand.

This is a fun movie that most everyone in the family can enjoy. It's rated PG, has some violence, but no nudity and no language. Younger kids will probably not understand the Masonic and Knights Templar references, but they'll probably still enjoy it. The only thing anyone needs to understand about the Masons is the Knights Templar eventually became the Masons, and many of our founding fathers were Masons, so there's a bit of Masonic lore/connection tied into the movie. Other than that, it's easy to follow. Ben Gates is chasing a dream of finding a lost treasure, the map to which is supposedly hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence. He steals the Declaration, then takes off on his adventure to find the treasure. To put it simply, "National Treasure" will remind you of a cross between the Indiana Jones trilogy (minus the snakes) and "Ocean's 11" (minus the drinking and profanity). You don't have to be a genius to watch it, and you don't have to be a history nut to understand it. No, there isn't really a map on the back of the Declaration of Independence (Is there?), but Indiana Jones didn't actually find the Ark, either. It's a fun, fantasy, what-if, kind of movie. Enjoy it.