Incredibly stupid, but, I have to admit, I enjoyed it

Rating: 7/10 (1 June 2008)

For a movie that's pretty much just a cheap combination of Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed National Treasure. Oh, it's dumb, but it's dumb fun. Nicolas Cage stars as the latest descendant of the Gates family, whose members have spent their existence following the treasure of the Knights Templar. The Freemasons, descended from the Knights Templar, have supposedly left a series of clues leading to this treasure. Cage, in his hammy mode, carries the movie. His sidekicks, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha, are mostly boring, as are the villains (led by Sean Bean). Harvey Keitel and Jon Voight pop up in supporting roles, but neither of them adds too much. It really is the Nicolas Cage show. It moves quick and doesn't allow you to overthink any of the extremely simple story. I'd definitely place this in the "guilty pleasure" column, but a pleasure it is.