 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
National Treasure
- Review Date: May 1, 2005
- PG
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2004
Common Sense Media says
Historical adventure is a fun romp for tweens and up.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this action movie has a handful of explosions and some gunshots being fired at characters and into crowds. Characters are in frequent peril and some are taken hostage. The historical aspect is especially interesting for conspiracy theorists and treasure hunters, if a little fuzzy when it comes to nailing down actual facts. A minor character is killed (offscreen). When Ben says he is in trouble, his father asks if the woman he has with him is pregnant. There is a lot of reckless and irresponsible behavior, even within the traditions of this genre.
What's the story?
Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) comes from a long line of treasure hunters who have been been chasing a legendary treasure for generations. Ben is determined to solve the mystery with the help of his sidekick Riley (Justin Batha) and an unlikely ally played by Diane Kruger, who is the guardian of the Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile Ben's former colleague and financial backer, Ian (Sean Bean), has betrayed Ben and is trying to find the treasure for himself. With ingenuity, some help from family and friends, and a lot of luck, Ben and his crew might just solve the legend and find the treasure before his enemies do. Along the way, the treasure hunt will take them to historic sites in Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York, from the highest of high-tech security to the ricketiest of ancient catacombs.
Is it any good?
Well, it's not Raiders of the Lost Ark, but there are enough thrills and mysteries in this rather clean Disney flick to have made it a hit. The jokes are a little lame, even though Nicholas Cage does his best to bring some spark into his parrying with Diane Kruger's sexy-intellectual portrayal of Dr. Chase. Some weaknesses in the script are plain silly: the hologram emblazoned on the back of the Declaration of Independence, for example, is just laughable.
But history buffs will be happy to fact-check which of the Founding Fathers were indeed Freemasons, and kids can marvel at the buried ship, the code-breaking, and the subterranean caverns and structures, which may or may not contain treasure. Parents of young kids should watch out for the big explosions and the perilous kidnapping scenes which could disrupt the sensitive viewer. No, it's not a NATIONAL TREASURE, but it has good production value and star power -- which counts for something.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about their own family legends and heirlooms. What are some of the stories associated with them? What do you do to make sure they're safe?
Talk about how movies and TV can alter the facts of history. What sources do you use to learn the true facts of history?
What kinds of messages about taking risks and breaking the law does this movie contain? What's the difference between thrilling entertainment and encouraging bad behavior?
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Kid, 11 years old
June 21, 2009
AGE
good movie
great history movie
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Parent of 6, 11, 15, and 17 year old
June 29, 2010
AGE
One of our favs.
Awesome movie. Definitely great for the whole family (parents included!!) Hopefully they will EVENTUALLY come out with a third movie.
What other families should know:
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Kid, 11 years old
March 14, 2010
AGE
I'm sorry, I don't know why Commonsense Reviewing decided to rate is two stars, because this movie is educational and entertaining. National Treasure is a great movie with a great plot and good acting. This movie tells kids a lot of cool information about historic figures such as Charles Carrol, Andrew Jackson, and George Washington.
What other families should know:
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Teen, 13 years old
July 4, 2010
AGE
Fun family film with a bit of education
I think this movie is good. The storyline is interesting as well as the characters. The main character does steal, but he does it for a good reason, so it's not a entirely bad message. Not only do people fight, but there's also a lot of peril. Not much blood, though. I think the whole family will enjoy it; just make sure kids can handle the violence.
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Kid, 11 years old
May 24, 2010
AGE
NT (National Treasure) is TB (The Best)!!! :)
THIS IS THE BEST!!! My favorite movie. There is a little violence and two characters kiss, but it's great. It also teaches some great things about history. Amazing!
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
should be PG-13
Good movie. But it should have been rated PG-13 due to the action violence
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Adult
October 22, 2009
AGE
good movie 9 and up
awesome movie lots of action truth is you can let your hole entire family to see thid movie because it has no sex and barley any killing.
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Kid, 9 years old
May 15, 2010
AGE
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Teen, 13 years old
September 19, 2009
AGE
excellent and intelligent
National Treasure is one of my favorite movies. This is NO dumb stunts and explosions movie! There are intelligent puzzles great suspense scenes and solid acting. There is a bit of shooting and violence including two of the main characters being killed in an exploding ship and a villian plunging into a black pit. There is only one piece of language that I heard (d***) and I wouldn't have heard it if it wern't for the subtitles. The heroes steal the Decleration of Independance but only to prevent the bad guys from getting at it. Over all an excellent and intellegent film definately worth checking out!
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| Topics: | adventures, history |
| Studio: | Buena Vista |
| Director: | Jon Turteltaub |
| Cast: | Harvey Keitel, Justin Bartha, Nicolas Cage |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 90 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 19, 2004 |
| DVD release date: | May 3, 2005 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | action violence and some scary images |
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