When Bad Writing Happens to a Good Idea

Rating: Null/10 (5 December 2004)

I have to give this film a B- as an overall grade. Nick Cage made for a decent hero to the plot - a sort of historical Indiana Jones who has a fetish for clothes by Urban Outfitters. As he ran, dodged, and deduced his way through the plot, I found myself distracted by his flyaway hairpiece. Oh, and don't get me started on the eyebrow action.
While I think the premise of the plot - regarding the evolution of the Knights Templar into the Free Masons, and the possibility that Ben Franklin was a key player in manufacturing an intricate web of clues to an amazing treasure - was essentially fascinating, the cheese-factor unfortunately found its way in (thank you, Mr. Bruckheimer). The humor that did occur frequently in the dialogue couldn't make up for the incredibly unrealistic and over-the-top moment when Nick Cage pulls the oddly-beautiful archivist in for a smooch as they're descending into the earth with the evil doers all around them, and yet they have a moment for a stupid kiss to which she looks all goofy afterwards.
It was entertaining, but couldn't come close to Bruckheimer's last success of Pirates of the Caribbean. My recommendation - wait until it's on Pay-Per-View.