Deserving of the number one spot! Spoiler alert!

Rating: Null/10 (29 November 2004)

There is nothing like a great action film that leaves you high as a kite when you leave the theatre. You want to let go of reality for a couple hours and just enjoy an adventure. National Treasure is a movie with an incredibly unfortunate name!! Upon first seeing the trailer for this movie I was gripped to my seat until I saw the title...YUCK!! But fortunately for this title laden movie it kicks some serious butt!!
National Treasure is the story of Ben Franklin Gates, the ancestor of a long line of Gates family men who have hunting for the world's greatest treasure.
Ben's Grandfather revealed to him as a young boy the only clue they have in their possession and it begins an obsession for Ben to find this treasure that his grandfather and his father spent decades searching for. Only Ben has figured out how to decipher the clue that his Grandfather gave him and it leads his crew into the depths of the Artic Circle. Unfortunately Ben's team and friends turn on him leaving him for dead when they discover the map to the treasure is on none other than the back of the declaration of Independence. Now in order to protect the declaration Ben Gates and his last friend from the crew must steal it away from the bad guys to protect it and find the treasure first. Along for the ride, unwillingly at first is the beautiful Dr. Chase and eventually Ben's father who had long given up on the treasure.
I always say I'm not a Nick Cage fan but the truth is I love most films he does. Maybe it's just the way he picks his scripts but his action movies are some of the best movies...Con Air, The Rock, Face-Off and many more. He is one of those actors who acting ability doesn't stretch too far from character to character. At least in his action movies he's basically the same character but that's enough to have a great time watching.
National Treasure is an Indiana Jones type adventure but set in the United States which is very different for an adventure film. Most adventure films if not all need to go to some foreign, exotic location to make it believable but National Treasure happens right on our front door step. The film takes us from the Arctic Circle to Washington DC, to Boston, to Philladelphia, to New York, all around North America and it's fun and feels like you're treasure hunting with them. Add in some crazy chase scenes, a killer thieving caper scene with the Declaration and some amazing spots in the US.
The storyline is interesting, original, and very captivating. They use real life things to change it into clues for the treasure ie. 1 dollar bills, and the liberty bell and things on the Declaration.
The cast is awesome. Sean Bean is as always an excellent bad guy reminiscent of his role on Don't Say A Word, another amazing movie. Diane Kruger as Dr. Chase is wonderful first not believing Ben's plot and then becoming an unwilling participant to becoming a full blown co-hort and the leading lady to Nick's leading man of course. Appearances by Jon Voight and Christopher Plummer add some great class to the movie. Voight plays a very different character from his others. He's soft spoken, elderly, and shy and unsure of himself. A far cry of some his other rather loud roles he has played. Plummer's brief appearance is a nice cameo as well.
This is a great movie, one of the best of the year I think as far as action films go. Definitely don't hesitate to check this one because you will not be disappointed. I don't see them doing any future Ben Gate's films but it wouldn't be difficult to do another as he is a swashbuckling hero and rich too :)
9/10