Stars: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Summary: American history gets a cool make-over in this Jerry Bruckheimer-produced comedic action thriller. Nicholas Cage plays Ben Gates, the descendent of an early American patriot who has left him information relating to a vast treasure, hidden during the Revolutionary War by the Freemasons. A clue at the north pole sets things in motion, and Ben must use his formidable cryptography skills to decipher puzzles hidden in the most unlikely places--one appears on the dollar bill, and another is on the back of the U.S. constitution. Ben's unscrupulous former partner (Sean Bean) and his gang of thugs are also after the treasure for selfish, evil purposes. A plot to steal the constitution sets off a 13-colony-wide chase with all the trimmings: cops going after the wrong man, the rescue of a cute female cryptographer (Diane Kruger) who tags along for the ride, and Jon Voight answering the door in the middle of the night as Ben's disapproving father. High-speed editing and a clever script make this an enjoyable history lesson, with Cage's character masquerading as his own versions of Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones, and an over-caffeinated Washington D.C. tour guide. He and Kruger demonstrate some fine romantic chemistry, and Justin Bartha gets off some legitimately funny lines as Ben's long-suffering sidekick. Last but not least, Harvey Keitel makes a very cool FBI chief.

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Like a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids, National Treasureoffers popcorn thrills and enough boyish charm to overcome its rampant silliness. Although it was roundly criticized as a poor man's rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Arkand The Da Vinci Code, it's entertaining on its own ludicrous terms, and Nicolas Cage proves once again that one actor's infectious enthusiasm can compensate for a multitude of movie sins. The contrived plot involves Cage's present-day quest for the ancient treasure of the Knights Templar, kept secret through the ages by Freemasons past and present. Finding the treasure requires the theft of the Declaration of Independence (there are crucial treasure clues on the back, of course!), so you can add "caper comedy" to this Jerry Bruckheimer production's multi-genre appeal. Nobody will ever accuse director Jon Turtletaub of artistic ambition, but you've got to admit he serves up an enjoyable dose of PG-rated entertainment, full of musty clues, skeletons, deep tunnels, and harmless adventure in the old-school tradition. It's a load of hokum, but it's fun hokum, and that makes all the difference. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Bonus Treasure Hunt Level 1, National Treasure On Location, Opening Scene Animatic, Alternate Ending, Deleted Scenes, Bonus Treasure Hunt Level 2, Treasure Hunters Uncovered, The Knights Templar, Rileys Decode This, Roadblock Easter Egg
Subtitles:	Dutch, English
Year:	2004
Release Date:	April 25, 2005
Runtime:	126 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	B E D 881492
Keywords:	National, Action, Treasure, General, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure