A nice little ride

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2004)

"National Treasure" was a very nice time, and I recommend it to anyone wondering if it's worth the money. It's not really a roller-coaster ride, nor is it a psychological or suspenseful thriller. Instead, I think it is a nice combination of ingredients.
There is enough action in the form of chase scenes and some occasional gunfire to satisfy the action-obsessed, but also presents enough of a puzzle to keep others interested, and vice versa. There is a the usual blooming relationship thing going on, as one would expect, but it never gets in the way of the movie's thread.
I know that some of the conspiracy-minded will think that the treatment to subjects like the Freemasons and Knights Templar is superficial and simplistic, but who really cares, other than the nutbars who set their clocks by "The Da Vinci Code"? It never attempts to spin an incredibly tangled web and claim it is actual fact. It touches on some historical truths and weaves them into the story without taking them or anything else too seriously.
I would also say this is the perfect example of a movie where suspension of disbelief is required. Obviously, it is a little difficult to believe that, assuming you could steal the Declaration of Independence, that you could store and treat it in the manner they did and expect it to stay in one piece. Again, who cares? That doesn't really have anything to do with the story.
There is also enough comedy an light-hearted moments typical of Nicolas Cage action films, but I believe they are a bit better in this film.
In summary, I think that while this isn't exactly the greatest action film ever made, it's a nice combination of action, adventure, puzzle and comedy that will satisfy most people who watch it, and it's definitely a good time.