Massive suspension of disbelief required

Rating: 6/10 (15 September 2008)

To view this movie, you better suspend your disbelief at the door. Better yet, bury it. Otherwise, the premise involving intricate codes sprinkled everywhere to reveal an immense treasure will look downright ridiculous and comical.
Everybody from the ancient Egyptians, to the Romans, to the Knights of Templar to the Free Masons to Ben Franklin to George Washington are behind this scheme. Half of the people who ever lived were apparently involved in some conspiracy to gather gold stuff and then hide it somewhere. With clues everywhere to find it. And more clues. I'm surprised DaVinci and his "codes" weren't mentioned as being involved. Or the second shooter from the grassy knoll. Or O.J. Simpson. Or Oliver Stone. Or the Aflac Duck.
Nicholas Cage finds cleverly hidden artifacts with clues, and then solves them faster than Batman and Robin unravelling the Riddler's rhymes on the old TV show. Some girl who works for the government and whose acting looks like a schoolgirl in Drama 101 helps him. Some guy tries to croak him in every scene but always goofs it up. Although Jon Voight's work in the film is good, his character is written inconsistently. Like the whole script.
My favorite, however, is the depiction of the systems "protecting" the Declaration of Independence. In this movie, one of those bozos on "World's Dumbest Criminals" could heist this priceless document, and nobody would be the wiser. Then a bunch of Keystone Cop FBI guys run around accomplishing nothing except more comedy.
Far beyond the limits of plausible if you take it at face value. But if you give the flick about of ton of poetic license, it can be good for a laugh or two.