A dusty gem, and worthy effort to give the young-uns a lesson

Rating: 6/10 (7 December 2004)

The !SPOILERS! in this review are located below and clearly
marked.
Let's get the critique out of the way first.
1. Character development: non-existent.
2. Set pieces: boring, but of historical interest.
3. Dialogue: Sub-par.
4. Believability: Zero.
And yet despite these weaknesses, I liked the movie! Let's face it, Nicholas Cage is a likable actor and that's why it works. His sidekick is perilously close to being the most annoying sidekick since Jar... (He who must not be spoken of)
The female lead is very attractive but has a noticeable accent which makes me wonder which director/producer she is dating to get this role. Otherwise, she is pretty good at running around and zinging one-liners.
The typical Bruckheimer formula of non-stop action is deftly executed by director Turteltaub and the historical significance of various major national landmarks is interspersed between chases and scenes in which clues are discovered.
!SPOILERS!
The screenplay was dumbed-down enough for me to get the "valley forge" and the "daylight savings time" references before the characters on screen blurted them out. Thanks for making me feel smart! I liked the dedication to American history (and faux-history) showed by Nicholas Cage's character. Our country would do well with more true patriots and knowledgeable individuals.
!SPOILERS!