---
title: "National Treasure"
year: 2004
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/national-treasure"
fi1m_id: "national-treasure"
imdb_id: "tt0368891"
tmdb_id: 2059
wikidata_id: "Q309366"
fi1m_score: 52
critics_score: 40
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-10-05T03:31:16.634863+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T03:31:17.148338+00:00"
region: "SK"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# National Treasure (2004)

Directed by Jon Turteltaub · 2h 11m · Adventure, Action, Mystery

## Identity

National Treasure

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/national-treasure
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** national-treasure
- **IMDb ID:** tt0368891
- **TMDB ID:** 2059
- **Wikidata ID:** Q309366
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368891/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2059, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q309366

**Fi1m score: 52** · Critics 40 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Stealing the Declaration of Independence ought to be more fun than listening to people explain why they need it

> Nicolas Cage gives this treasure hunt a little warmth, and the Declaration heist briefly supplies the fun. But the historical explanations and flat action make a modest adventure feel unnecessarily long.

## Synopsis

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) pursues a treasure map hidden in the Declaration of Independence. To continue the hunt, he needs access to the document itself, and his plan involves stealing it. He meets Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), while Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Ian Howe (Sean Bean) are also involved in the search. The clues draw on history and conspiracy, but the immediate problem is practical: Ben has to work out how to get his hands on the Declaration of Independence.

## Review

*National Treasure* has a workable adventure premise: a treasure map concealed in the Declaration of Independence, and a hunt that involves stealing the document. Jon Turteltaub makes it slick and intermittently amusing, but too much of the film is spent explaining an adventure that never becomes particularly exciting. At 131 minutes, it gives its historical conspiracies plenty of attention. We could have done with more attention paid to making the next clue feel worth finding.

Nicolas Cage plays Ben Gates with a sincerity that we rather like, at least at first. He treats the hunt seriously enough to give the silliness a chance, and his mild manner keeps the film from becoming too pleased with its own cleverness. The trouble comes when that seriousness has to generate urgency. The performance makes us willing to hear another explanation, but rarely anxious about what will happen once it ends.

The screenplay by Jim Kouf, Marianne Wibberley and Cormac Wibberley asks us to accept some elaborate historical conspiracies, which is a reasonable request from a treasure hunt. The difficulty is how earnestly it keeps making the request. A clue can be daft and still be satisfying if working it out is fun; here the explanations tend to slow the search. There is too little surprise in the plotting to reward the attention demanded by the riddles.

The Declaration heist is the stretch that briefly makes the mixture work. We enjoyed it because getting hold of one particular object gives all the conspiracy talk a practical purpose. Caleb Deschanel’s photography gives the document enough visual importance to justify the fuss, while Norris Spencer’s production design lends the operation a persuasive air of official respectability. That care helps make the theft interesting even when the suspense is thin.

Diane Kruger gives Abigail Chase some welcome spark, and Sean Bean brings more confidence to Ian Howe than the plotting quite earns. Both supply the liveliness that the film needs when its central performance settles into another sober passage. Jon Voight is useful too as Patrick Gates, though these individual pleasures never quite add up to a compelling group. The cast can improve a scene, but cannot make the succession of clues less familiar.

William Goldenberg’s editing keeps the action understandable, but it does not solve the larger problem of momentum. The film repeatedly seems ready to get going, then settles back into the business of laying out its mystery. Trevor Rabin’s music presses harder for suspense than the scenes warrant, so that the score becomes tiring when it should be helping. Neither the cutting nor the emphatic music can supply a sense of risk on its own.

As a clue-led adventure, this needs more playfulness or more tension than Jon Turteltaub gives it. A PG certificate does not prevent an adventure from making us worry about its characters. There is a place for a gentle treasure hunt, but this one asks for more patience than its riddles repay. Choose it for the historical clues if those are enough; do not expect the chases to rescue a flagging evening.

*Fi1m score 52, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find National Treasure a sluggish, unconvincing adventure, with familiar plotting and action that struggles to generate excitement. The recurring complaint is that the film takes its far-fetched historical conspiracies too seriously without making the clues or suspense sufficiently engaging. Praise is scattered rather than concentrated: some reviews find Nicolas Cage amiable or charming, while individual performances by Sean Bean, Diane Kruger and Jon Voight offer occasional relief from the generally underwhelming ensemble.

The sharpest disagreements concern Cage and the central heist. His performance strikes some critics as personable, others as lifeless or smug; Empire finds the Declaration of Independence theft engaging, while Variety singles it out as a disappointment. The available verdicts range from qualified disappointment to outright boredom, with little enthusiasm for the film as a whole. Two of the ten listed reviews have no accessible verdict, so their scores offer no usable explanation of their reservations.

## Straight answers

**Is National Treasure worth watching?**

*National Treasure* is a mixed choice for fans of historical clues and gentle adventure; we score it 52 out of 100. Nicolas Cage brings warmth and the Declaration of Independence heist briefly delivers the fun, but lengthy explanations and flat action make its 131 minutes feel unnecessarily long.

**How long is National Treasure, and what is it rated?**

*National Treasure* runs 2h 11m. It is an adventure and action film.

**Where can I watch National Treasure in Slovakia?**

*National Treasure* is not on any streaming or rental service in Slovakia at the moment. It is available in 46 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does National Treasure compare to The Lady Vanishes?**

*National Treasure* offers a gentle historical treasure hunt, while [*The Lady Vanishes*](https://film.one/film/the-lady-vanishes) is the stronger choice for a tense, funny mystery built around details that reward attention. We find the railway mystery more urgent, even when its plotting becomes fussy; the treasure hunt suits those more interested in historical conspiracies than suspense.

**What should I watch after National Treasure?**

After *National Treasure*, try [*The Lady Vanishes*](https://film.one/film/the-lady-vanishes) (1938, Fi1m 88): For another mystery where apparently minor details deserve your full attention. Then [*The Castle of Cagliostro*](https://film.one/film/the-castle-of-cagliostro) (1979, Fi1m 80): An animated caper with ingenious thefts and a lighter touch; and [*Romancing the Stone*](https://film.one/film/romancing-the-stone) (1984, Fi1m 77): Treasure hunting with sharper comic friction between the people following the map.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **Screen Daily**, Mike Goodridge (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review but does not expose the critic’s verdict. The paywall also hides what the critic singles out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/national-treasure/4021012.article)
- **Time Out**, TJ (64/100, inferred): The review’s verdict cannot be determined because its article text is unavailable. The metadata describes a treasure map hidden in the Declaration of Independence, but offers no evaluative detail. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/national-treasure)
- **Radio Times**, Ian Freer (2/5): Freer finds the film unsuccessful at combining its historical mystery, conspiracy thriller and action-adventure elements. He particularly faults Nicolas Cage’s lifeless performance and the limp action sequences. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-bubcm5/national-treasure/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (2/5): The review finds the film slick but uninvolving, and far inferior to Indiana Jones. It praises Nicolas Cage’s charm and Sean Bean’s charismatic performance, while faulting the familiar plotting and much of the supporting cast. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/national-treasure-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (1.5/4): Schager dismisses the film as a lazy, tedious adventure that takes its preposterous plot too seriously. He singles out Cage’s smug performance and the score’s mechanical attempts to manufacture suspense as especially damaging. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/national-treasure/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (35/100, inferred): Thomas finds the film a hokey, sluggish compromise, though its plot earns some curiosity. He praises the engaging Declaration heist and Diane Kruger’s spark. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/national-treasure-review/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (35/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film outrageously silly, though occasionally amusing. He singles out Nicolas Cage’s amiable performance and the adventure’s convoluted conspiracies. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1379667,00.html)
- **The AV Club**, Nathan Rabin (25/100, inferred): Rabin finds the adventure tedious, slackly paced, and unable to embrace its own absurdity. He singles out Cage’s dull, low-energy performance as a particular disappointment. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/national-treasure-1798200195)
- **Variety**, Scott Foundas (20/100, inferred): Foundas finds the film long-winded and ineffective, with neither its serial-style suspense nor its action delivering excitement. He singles out the underwhelming set pieces, especially the Declaration of Independence heist, as a key disappointment. [Read](https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/national-treasure-2-1200529452/)
- **Eye for Film**, Gator MacReady (★★): The critic calls the film boring and excessively tame. Jon Voight is singled out as the only bright spot, while the rest of the cast and the clues are criticized. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/national-treasure-film-review-by-gator-macready)

## Details

- **Director:** Jon Turteltaub
- **Director:** Jon Turteltaub
- **Screenplay:** Cormac Wibberley, Jim Kouf, Marianne Wibberley
- **Story:** Jim Kouf, Charles Segars, Oren Aviv
- **Cinematography:** Caleb Deschanel
- **Editor:** William Goldenberg
- **Music:** Trevor Rabin
- **Production design:** Norris Spencer
- **Costume design:** Judianna Makovsky
- **Producer:** Jon Turteltaub, Jerry Bruckheimer
- **Cast:** Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates; Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase; Justin Bartha as Riley Poole; Sean Bean as Ian Howe; Jon Voight as Patrick Gates; Harvey Keitel as Sadusky; Christopher Plummer as John Adams Gates; David Dayan Fisher as Shaw
- **Runtime:** 2h 11m
- **Release (Slovakia):** 27 January 2005
- **Genres:** Adventure, Action, Mystery
- **Budget:** $100 million
- **Box office:** $348 million

## Where to watch in Slovakia

Not streaming, renting or buying in Slovakia at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Lady Vanishes* (1938), Fi1m 88: For another mystery where apparently minor details deserve your full attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lady-vanishes.md)
- *Charade* (1963): A missing fortune, uncertain loyalties and considerably more pleasure in the chase.
- *The Castle of Cagliostro* (1979), Fi1m 80: An animated caper with ingenious thefts and a lighter touch. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-castle-of-cagliostro.md)
- *Romancing the Stone* (1984), Fi1m 77: Treasure hunting with sharper comic friction between the people following the map. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/romancing-the-stone.md)
- *The Adventures of Tintin* (2011), Fi1m 77: Another puzzle-led treasure hunt, with more invention in the action. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-tintin.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/national-treasure