National Treasure

Mediocre humdrum on all fronts starting with the screenplay (which badly and lamely borrows from the already obtuse DaVinci Code), through the actors, all the way to the music and directing. There isn’t even one original idea here, but even so it is pleasant to watch. However, as soon as the final credits begin, you have no idea what it was about. It leaves no lasting impression. It simply disappears into thin air. (02/05/2005)

A film that the should only fill an empty spot on a video store shelf grossed $170 million in the U.S. alone? I don’t get it. Actually, yes, Disney have always been masters of advertising hype, and the Bruckheimer name is a trademark with the hallmark of a certain commercial return. At least Cage gave his slowly fading career a bit of a boost, Diane Kruger proved that her lacklustre performance in Troy was no accident, Jerry put a few millions back into his piggy bank, and Disney patched up things after their animated flops. But I really don’t care. (04/26/2005)

The occasional unexpected twists go very well together with the dynamic editing in the rhythm of the energetic Zimmer-esque soundtrack, but in the second half, you give up just like you did with Pirates of the Caribbean. Monotony and protractedness set in and you’re no longer really interested in what exactly is happening in the film. Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger are again fine, but Sean Bean already has more distinctive bad guys on his resumé. But that’s what you get with a Disney production – soft villains. (01/26/2005)

The first half is unexpectedly great (if you immediately accept the B-movie nature of the story), but the second half is stretched more than the legs of a Thai hooker, degrading a relatively entertaining mystery into stupid family sci-fi. How someone like Harvey Keitel could appear in this screenwriting mess is a mystery to me, one that even the hard-working Nick Cage can't solve… (05/27/2012)

It's a shame to have to write words on this topic. National Treasure is a film so phenomenally mediocre and cold that I can scarce believe it was a commercial success. Yes, the American monuments are fine, the action scenes are civil, the Masons and Templars are an interesting subject... but in Turteltaub's style, it all feels too soulless. In addition, all the acting stars are out like a fire in the fireplace around 4:00 a.m. Considering the possibilities this creator had, there is no choice but to rate the result with a below-average grade and discourage all those who like the quality sound of Indy's whip from watching this film. (02/07/2005)