This movie is just as big a treasure as the national treasure itself!

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2020)

"National Treasure" (2004), when I first watched this film, I went into the theater with low expectations. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes that's a bad thing. But in the case of "National Treasure", I'm ecstatic I did. I went in there to see it, and I loved every second of it! Perfect story, perfect acting, perfect special effects, perfect sets/locations, and a perfect soundtrack. At first glance, the story sounds like your every day treasure hunt. But, this movie takes that concept and turns it up to 11! This is one of those movie storylines where I was invested, excited, and there were a few occasional laughs along the way. It hit all the right notes, and it was one of the fastest two hours of my life! That's when you know you have a great movie, when it goes by fast. The cast is fantastic! Nicolas Cage, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel, Jon Voight, Diane Kruger, and more. They all perform their roles flawlessly. Of course, Nicolas Cage steals the show! Now overall, Nicolas Cage is one of those hit or miss actors. He has had both good and bad roles throughout his movie career. However, his role in "National Treasure" as Benjamin Gates is perfect for him. Had some other actor played the role, it may not have worked. This, in my opinion, is Nicolas Cage's best role and performance! As for the rest of the actors and actresses, they all perform their roles perfectly and all of the actors have great chemistry. Sean Bean is a brilliant as Ian, the villain. One thing to point out, Sean Bean's character doesn't die in this film, that's a first! Isn't it? Justin Bartha is hilarious as Riley, Diane Kruger is great as Abigail, Jon Voight is funny as Patrick (Ben's father), Harvey Keitel as Agent Sadusky is stellar, etc. The special effects are perfect and still hold up to this day. All of the sets/locations are perfect and really set the tone for the movie. Finally, the film soundtrack, composed by Trevor Rabin, is fantastic! It also helps set the tone, and really helps bring the movie to life. "National Treasure" is a great movie watching experience. Sometimes, you can actually forget that it's a Disney film! Director Jon Turteltaub, you definitely did an outstanding job with this movie! I can watch this movie over and over again and never get tired of it. Of course, I obviously give this movie 5 out of 5 stars on my scale, which equates to 10 out of 10 IMDB stars. If you haven't seen "National Treasure", what are you waiting for? Go watch it today! This movie is truly a national treasure.