National Treasure

An undemanding entertainment that is essentially without violence, or rather without blood and dying, which I quite like. It's quite interesting in that aspect. Considering that I like various mysteries and the principle of treasure hunters, this suits me quite well, even though the celebration of America is basically everywhere here. However, this can be watched basically anytime and usually won't offend anyone. (02/19/2014)

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)

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)

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)

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)