reminds us that our history is our treasure

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2004)

sure, it's a weak history lesson, but it's a boy's patriotic view of history. it's a boy scout's view, and a dying view in today's amoral America. National Treasure is basically a boy's treasure hunt movie, The Goonies with adults solving clues to claim an impossible prize. It never stoops to cheap laughs and only slaps on one car chase and one overblown explosion. It's a love story and an adventure and anyone who longs to feel the vicarious passion of an adventurer can do much worse than this. Nicolas Cage might not be the best actor to convey this passion, his boyish charm fading years ago, but he's sincere in his love for his country's rich history. The real stars here are the locations with Cage following ancient clues that lead him to Independence Hall and the Library of Congress. Americans have their own national treasure in their history and in the stories of the founding fathers, and National Treasure is the only movie in recent years that attempts to remind us of this.