I'd never heard of it

Rating: 7/10 (18 February 2006)

I'd actually never even heard of this film until I saw it listed on cable and took a chance and sat down for a couple hours. Of course, everyone who noted that's in the Indiana Jones vein, albeit in contemporary times using state of the art gadgets is correct.
While the ridiculous buildup of clue upon clue in order to find the treasure of the Knights Templer does veer into overkill, this is a fun little picture.
Nicolas Cage is wonderful as the mostly laid back hero with wit and an expert knowledge of history. Heretofore unknown blond beauty Diane Kruger as the Treasury Agent who tries to stop Cage before developing a fascination with his quest is solid and enticing. Justin Bartha is delightful as Cage's drool right hand man, Riley. Rugged Englishman Sean Bean makes both a charming and nasty villain.
It must be noted that former Yes guitarist/producer Trevor Rabin has created a slightly Asian-sounding score that permeates the film wonderfully. It's a simple and and wholly addictive piece of music.
"National Treasure" is a nifty diversion and a fun way to kill off a couple hours.