*minor spoilers* Indiane Kruger ?

Rating: 7/10 (10 December 2004)

Nick Cage is back in this fast paced, glossy-actioned Bruckenheimer tale of mythical lost treasure and a centuries old freemason plan to hide it.. yet also leave clues for Nick and his family to track down. Sean Bean is the baddie as all hell breaks loose when Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) realises he has to steal the American Declaration of independence.
For some reason Cage has decided to do a PG movie that is really one for the whole family as opposed to some of the more cerebral (adaptation) stuff he's been doing lately. At least it's better than gone in 60 seconds. The basic plot is that for several generations, Ben Gates' family have been looking for a lost treasure in order to protect it. The treasure is an immeasurably valuable horde secreted away by the Freemasons in the 18th century to hide it from the British.
In the course of his search he has teamed up (for reasons unknown) with a wealthy treasure hunter in Ian Howe (Sean Bean). When clues lead them to the possibility that the map is behind the Declaration of Independence, Ian decides to steal it. Gates, been an all-American type tells him it's not on, so Ian goes ballistic. Literally.
Ben Gates fails miserably at warning the FBI and others about the plot so decides to do the only thing left to protect the treasure. Steal the declaration of independence himself. Getting roped in along the way is the obligatory cardboard cut-out an academic archives administrator - the gorgeous Diane Kruger and Gates dad, Jon Voight.
Bean is pretty good as the baddie but to be fair it's not the most challenging role he'll ever have. The main attraction of this movie is really the Indiane Kruger.. I mean Indiana Jones element involving old puzzles and secret caverns behind famous landmarks.
Of course this is a Jerry Bruckheimer film so it's all popcorn, fun and excitement. Don't expect subtext or high brow deep-thinking. It's a fun adventure and deserves to be treated as such. 3/5 and a thumbs up from IV.