Popcorn, Medium Drink, and a Couple Hours

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2004)

Jon Turtletaub's "National Treasure" is such a rarity in movies, in that you don't have to think about it, enjoy the ride, and make sure you have enough popcorn and soda. Though get the medium drink. After all the movie is 2 hours and change. The 'think' comment is not an intended slam, but rather a recommendation. The screenplay by the team of Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley, and Marianne Wibberley has a very novel concept which is entirely envisioned as an action adventure. Turtletaub, as Director, executes the action and adventure with great skill, pacing, and a sheer sense of fun. The movie also looks great.
Nicolas Cage plays Ben Gates, who as a kid was enrolled by his Grandfather's (Christopher Plummer) stories of a treasure map written on the back of the Declaration of Independence. According to the legend, the treasure map leads to a vast fortune hidden by the Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War. As the movie opens we find grown up Ben, now a treasure hunter/ historian of some sort, along with his sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha), and slippery business partner, Ian Howe, at the North Pole in pursuit of the legendary treasure. Predictably Ben and Ian become adversaries in search of the fortune. The FBI are thrown somewhere into the mix.
Ben becomes convinced that the only way to protect the treasure from falling into the wrong hands (that being Ian's), both he and Riley must steal the Declaration of Independence first. Enter Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), curator of the National Archives. She thinks that Ben and Riley are conspiracy crazed crack-heads. Well, not really, but she thinks they are nuts. However, due to a slew of events Abigail finds herself aligned with the boys. Along the way, we find out enough about the history surrounding the Declaration of Independence to stake out the category on "Jeopardy". The rest of "National Treasure" is a wild ride, and to it's credit, most of it is clever.
The cast is excellent. Nicolas Cage wonderfully plays the geek hero. He is perfect as the normal guy caught in a ridiculous situation. His Ben is not the coolest, but he is strong, smart, intense, and has a sense of humor. Justin Bartha offers expert comic relief as Riley. Diane Kruger is gorgeous, sharp, and funny as Abigail. She fairs much better here, than she did in "Troy". Sean Bean infuses an understated menace and danger as Ian. Credit the cast and Turtletaub for never taking themselves or the movie too seriously, and for providing a very good time at the movies.