National Treasure

I have to admit, Jerry Bruckheimer is my guilty pleasure when it comes to movies. His movies, except for the 'Pirates' films, are admittedly not that great, but I like them anyways. They're fun. He has fun with what he's doing. This movie is fun. But, unfortunately, it's a little silly. Nothing is really bad about the film, it's just that nothing's great.
The idea of a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence actually sounded kind of cool. I admit, absurd, but cool. This is the kind of film that has a sketchy story that you just need to go with. You can't criticize this film too much, because the more you do the more silly it becomes. But it is fiction, and obviously none if it is true. If you go with the story, it's actually fun. The script is a little silly at times but the actors do well with the weak script and what would normally seem ridiculous turns out funny, so the film has a light, comedic tone. I think the characters were well cast; if other people had been cast I think the film would have seemed just odd, and not so funny. The characters are unfortunately simple and not very likable, especially the bad guys in the film. But we're not supposed to like them, are we? Riley (Justin Bartha) is entertaining, however, and he is well played. All of the actors are strong and I had no real quibbles with them. The best though is Nicholas Cage as Ben Gates; I'm sure he had fun with this role.
The main problems with this film, besides the rather ridiculous plot and the hokey script, is the cheese that seems to drip from the film. There are some moments which are just silly, like the end when they finally find the treasure. I also felt a little discouraged during the film. It's a bit long and one clue keeps leading to another and another and after a while you just want them to find the treasure and have done. I wonder if these characters are really smart, because some of the clues are either so clever that only really smart people can figure them out, or they are just so odd and bizarre that the film says they work only for the sake of the film. I also can't believe that many of the things the characters do aren't noticed by anyone else. How could they get away with these things?
But for the most part, the film is just big, dumb fun. The musical score is good and while not spectacular, adds to the adventure. There are also some moments in the film that are fun to watch and very clever. Unfortunately these clever moments are scarce, but adventure is not lacking. This is a good film if you just want to let go and not focus too much on what you're watching. It's fun, but not smart or very memorable. I greatly liked the sequence in Philadelphia though. Big fun. A-plus though for originality. The story, while unbelievable, is completely unique to this film. And that's always refreshing.