Movie Review: "National Treasure"

I saw National Treasure this weekend. My first impression... worth the ticket price. Entertaining, but not overwhelming. Director Jon Turteltaub did a nice job with this one, considering his budget was enormous, I assume. It's hard to beat what I believe is his best film, Phenomenon (1996). I loved that one.

It seems, now a days, you really can't go wrong with a Nicholas Cage flick. Not his best performance, yet worth the effort. One highlight of the film has to be the ever so vibrant Jon Voight. He turns his minor role into to something special. The character relationship between he and Cage jumps off the screen in this film, however small. The other cast members, Harvey Keitel, Sean Bean, Diane Kruger and Justin Bartha all compliment Cage bringing a bit of believability to his character. (To find out more about each actor/actress search the IMDB using their name.) If you loved the Spielberg Indiana Jones flicks, you'll love National Treasure. Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing the two films, rather commentating on the scripts pace and rate of revelation. Both scripts force the action. Those of us, who love it, can never get enough. A technical comparison of scripts wouldn't be fair to the writer(s) of National Treasure, Jim Kouf and his accomplices. The plot structure of National Treasure keeps you on your toes guessing, where is this damn treasure? Clue, after clue, after clue... keeps a subtle intensity to the film and makes it hard to get up and get some more popcorn. You might miss a clue. I liked that about it. It kept me in my seat. Writer objective accomplished. However, the story lacks in a few areas that all of us amateur screenwriters focus on so much. If you've seen National Treasure and liked it, some of the other projects Kouf had his hands in worth seeing are, Snow Dogs (2002), Rush Hour (1998), and Operation Dumbo Drop (1995). National Treasure is a must see in the theater. If you wait to rent it you'll miss out on a fantastic ride that no home theater can replicate. Don't worry about the script, it's not an Oscar winner. Go into it thinking roller coaster and you and your date will have a great time.