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)

Director Jon Turtelaub and the usually entertaining Nicolas Cage make a good combination and a darn good movie. Cage plays Ben Gates, an archaeologist-historian on a present-day quest for an ancient treasure of the Knights Templar. This treasure has been kept secret for what seems forever by a long line of Freemasons dating back to the Declaration of Independence. According to generations of folklore, there is a clue on the back of the Declaration that will sustain the procession of clues leading to the treasure. Thus the Icon of all historical documents, the Declaration of Independence , must be borrowed/stolen. Now Gates must out race his former employer Ian Howe(Sean Bean)to the mythical treasure. Gates has the aid of one of his believers Riley Poole(Justin Bartha)and new convert Dr. Abigail Chase(Diane Kruger), who happens to be an employee of the Smithsonian Museum.

This contrived tale is infectious as Cage's determination to be a hero among mortal men. This caper is held together with shards of comedy and a healthy helping of adventure. Bean seems flawless as the crafty villain. Rounding out the cast are: Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Mark Pellegrino and Christopher Plummer. This poor man's Indiana Jones romp proves harmless fun for all ages.

Jon Turtletaub's best film must endure the critics propensity to penalize highly popular commercially successful family-friendly Disney films... "What does the common folk know about filmmaking?" It's much better than most of those reviews indicate.

Yes, this film works hard to be likable and appealing to a mass audience - perhaps it's just too preposterous a story, and has too much witty repertoire to be taken seriously by some critics. Witty repertoire CAN wear thin and become precocious in movies, but in 'National Treasure', it's the film's most endearing and appealing factor, carried off successfully by some of the most experienced actors in the business - They keep the film fun and pull off their quips with deft skill - Bravo!

A well casted, directed and edited film that doesn't pretend to be more than it is, and delivers what audiences came to see.

Enjoy this snappy-paced treasure hunt Disney ride without guilt - it's OK to have escapism fun watching movies, and this one does it as well as any, so grab a bowl of popcorn and indulge yourself.