| One of the surprise blockbusters of 2004, National | | | | Despite his father Patrick's (Jon Voight) pessimism, Ben |
| Treasure evokes images of the Indiana Jones trilogy | | | | investigates a clue provided by his grandfather John |
| with its adventurous search for a mysterious hidden | | | | Adams Gates (Christopher Plummer) - a clue handed |
| treasure. But more than likely, the film is the result of | | | | down by their distant relative Charles Carroll, one of |
| the massive commercial success of a "quest for the | | | | the last surviving signatories of the Declaration of |
| holy grail" novel entitled The Da Vinci Code. Since its | | | | Independence. Working with his employer Ian Howe |
| release, Dan Brown's book has sold over twenty million | | | | (Sean Bean), Ben unlocks the mystery of the clue |
| copies, and its plot of a historian turned treasure hunter | | | | which leads to his belief that a treasure map is |
| who uncovers ancient clues put in place by the Knights | | | | encoded in invisible on the backside of the Declaration |
| Templar and the Masons that hold the key to a | | | | of Independence. |
| treasure of unimaginable consequences from the era | | | | When Ian hatches a scheme to rob the National |
| of the Crusades while doing so with the aid of a | | | | Archives of its most treasured artifact, Ben promptly |
| beautiful woman curator of the very archive which | | | | alerts the FBI. But the feds' failure to take his claim |
| holds the crucial clues to its discovery, all while an evil | | | | seriously prompts Ben to devise his own plan to steal |
| competitor who seeks the treasure for himself follows | | | | the parchment (so he can protect its secrets from Ian). |
| on his heels - whew! is a plot device that's eerily similar | | | | Along the way, Ben convinces National Archives |
| to Dan Brown's bestseller. But National Treasure takes | | | | curator Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) of the |
| place in the United States instead of Europe, so you | | | | conspiracy, and she agrees to help him steal the |
| can rest assured that the book's success had nothing | | | | Declaration of Independence. With each new success, |
| to do with the movie's production (wink, wink)... | | | | Ben and Abigail are brought closer to the ultimate |
| Anyway, regardless of its origin, National Treasure is | | | | discovery. But Ian Howe and the FBI are always one |
| an entertaining adventure more than worthy of a | | | | step behind, and multiple dangerous obstacles remain in |
| movie-goer's time. | | | | their way... Does a vast treasure of wealth hidden by |
| National Treasure follows the exploits of Benjamin | | | | the Founding Fathers really exist? And will Ben and |
| "Ben" Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage), the youngest in a | | | | Abigail find it before it falls into the wrong hands? Just |
| long line of historians who believe that America's | | | | as with Harry Potter and Indiana Jones, all the fun is in |
| Founding Fathers were the guardians of a massive | | | | waiting to find out. |
| treasure dating back to the era of the Crusades. | | | | |