Family FavoritePG

National Treasure

In order to break the code, one man will have to break all the rules.

2004 • 131 min • Adventure · Action · Mystery

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Synopsis

Modern treasure hunters, led by archaeologist Ben Gates, search for a chest of riches rumored to have been stashed away by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War. The chest's whereabouts may lie in secret clues embedded in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and Gates is in a race to find the gold before his enemies do.

Our family guide

Best from age 8

Movie Knight Score

6974 reviews

80 Reviewers · 5 · 65%
67 Audience · 6969 · 35%

Ben Gates and his team race against rivals to uncover a legendary treasure hidden by America's Founding Fathers. Their quest involves deciphering historical clues embedded in national documents and landmarks, leading to an exhilarating, cross-country hunt.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 2/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 1/10
Scary moments: 2/10

Heads up

Some intense chase scenes and peril
Characters use firearms, but not graphically
Minor suggestions of peril for historical documents
Brief, mild romantic tension

What it models well

Curiosity and historical appreciation
Ingenuity and problem-solving
Teamwork and loyalty
Protecting national heritage

Talk about it after

The importance of historical documents
How history can inspire adventure
The difference between fact and fiction in historical stories
What makes a good leader or team member

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for National Treasure. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Top billed cast

Director: Jon Turteltaub • Crew: Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley, Jim Kouf, Oren Aviv, Charles Segars

Trailers & clips

The Lemon Juice Clue

Ben Gates Meets Abigail Chase

All the Facts | Disney+ Deets

National Treasure (2004) Trailer

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Nicolas Cage trying his damndest to be as un-Indian Jones as possible and succeeding. A good old-fashioned treasure hunt adventure you won't be able to help but enjoy. Cage is thoroughly enjoyable in this pacy romp. The unheroic hero is the best kind of hero, in my humble opinion.
Arcanum101, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**National Treasure catches the Indiana Jones lightning in a bottle with its clue-chasing treasure hunt, entertaining cast, and grand adventure.** National Treasure successfully captures the fun adventure and quality of Indiana Jones while building an exciting universe to explore in future films and shows. Nicolas Cage is at his best teaming with producer Jerry Bruckheimer once again. The duo's collaboration ga...
mooney240, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
_**Modern "Raiders of the Lost Ark" in America**_ If you can imagine a "Raiders of the Lost Ark"-type story taking place in modern America, you'd have a fairly good idea of what "National Treasure" is like. Nicolas Cage plays the Indiana Jones-type treasure hunter, Benjamin Franklin Gates, accompanied by his partner (Justin Bartha) and romantic interest (Diane Kruger), the latter a historical document scholar w...
Wuchak, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Seen this one many times over the years and still a lot of fun. Solid adventure-comedy with Nicolas Cage in his element with this sort of material. Diane Krueger's performance was a bit iffy at times but she had some okay scenes and never can go wrong with Sean Bean playing the villain, though the character is made out to be smart when all he does is some online searches and stealing from others. **3.75/5**
JPV852, TMDB Community

Not recommended
Maybe the real National Treasure was this movie we watched along the way. Okay so I didn't **love** _National Treasure_, but it 100% is what it's supposed to be. I never watched it as a kid, this was literally the first time I've ever seen more than about 5 minutes of it, so I don't have the nostalgia thing that a lot of people do, but I do think I'll watch it again. And, even though I didn't much like the sequ...
Ruuz, TMDB Community