NATIONAL TREASURE
Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) is descended from a long
line of treasure hunters. For generations his family has
been tracking a buried treasure that can be traced
back to 1776, when the nation was founded.
Unfortunately for the seekers, a vital clue to the
whereabouts of the fortune, is encoded on the
backside of the Declaration of Independence.
Obviously, just getting his hands on the document is
going to be a Herculean task. Add to it that others are
after the same booty, the FBI is after them all, and you
got a big chase on your hands.
But notice that this is a Disney (Touchstone)
production, so none of the violence gets too far out of
hand. In fact, it's pretty mild considering what could
have been, had this been something other than MPAA
rated PG for action violence and some scary images.
A bit long in running time, this adventure lasts a little
under 2 hours, but about 90 minutes would be quite
sufficient to tell the tale and be gone.
line of treasure hunters. For generations his family has
been tracking a buried treasure that can be traced
back to 1776, when the nation was founded.
Unfortunately for the seekers, a vital clue to the
whereabouts of the fortune, is encoded on the
backside of the Declaration of Independence.
Obviously, just getting his hands on the document is
going to be a Herculean task. Add to it that others are
after the same booty, the FBI is after them all, and you
got a big chase on your hands.
But notice that this is a Disney (Touchstone)
production, so none of the violence gets too far out of
hand. In fact, it's pretty mild considering what could
have been, had this been something other than MPAA
rated PG for action violence and some scary images.
A bit long in running time, this adventure lasts a little
under 2 hours, but about 90 minutes would be quite
sufficient to tell the tale and be gone.
Mary's Comments
Not a bad little adventure story, and the
whole family can go without fear of any
adult violence. A good story, but a little long
for the depth of the plot. Director Jon
Turteltaub has had limited success with his
work in The Kid, Instinct, or Phenomenon.
Maybe this one will give him a boost.
Not a bad little adventure story, and the
whole family can go without fear of any
adult violence. A good story, but a little long
for the depth of the plot. Director Jon
Turteltaub has had limited success with his
work in The Kid, Instinct, or Phenomenon.
Maybe this one will give him a boost.
Brenda's Comments:
A bit Indiana Jones with some interesting
clues thrown in for a little history lesson,
but not quite up to snuff for a big budget
movie. Maybe it will wait and make its
bucks on the home video market in a few
months. It's just not quite substantial
enough to satisfy most adults. Definitely for
the younger adventurers.
A bit Indiana Jones with some interesting
clues thrown in for a little history lesson,
but not quite up to snuff for a big budget
movie. Maybe it will wait and make its
bucks on the home video market in a few
months. It's just not quite substantial
enough to satisfy most adults. Definitely for
the younger adventurers.
© 2004 St. Louis Movie Review Weekly. All rights reserved, except where indicated.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
All movie titles, pictures, etc...are the property of their respective studios.
| ST. LOUIS MOVIE REVIEW WEEKLY Brenda S. Ladd & Mary K. Morgan |
