--- title: "National Treasure: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/national-treasure/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/national-treasure" critics_score: 40 critics_reviews: 10 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): what the critics said Critics' score 40 from 10 reviews: 0 positive, 2 mixed, 8 negative. 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. ## Screen Daily — Mike Goodridge Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 19 November 2004. 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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/national-treasure/4021012.article) ## Time Out — TJ Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/national-treasure) ## Radio Times — Ian Freer Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-bubcm5/national-treasure/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 2/5. 26 December 2004. 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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/national-treasure-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1.5/4. 18 November 2004. 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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/national-treasure/) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/national-treasure-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2004. Bradshaw finds the film outrageously silly, though occasionally amusing. He singles out Nicolas Cage’s amiable performance and the adventure’s convoluted conspiracies. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,1379667,00.html) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2004. 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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/national-treasure-1798200195) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2004. 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 the review](https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/national-treasure-2-1200529452/) ## Eye for Film — Gator MacReady Rating ★★. 23 December 2004. 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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/national-treasure-film-review-by-gator-macready) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/national-treasure.md