National Treasure

Once again, the reviews were so dismal we expected nothing, and were surprised. I was a blatant attempt to cash in on The Da Vinci Code … and so what? I thought that book was stupid, false, and very poorly written. Didn’t believe it for a nano-second. Still, Ron Howard is making it, starring Tom Hanks, and it is certain to be a blockbuster and may even be good.

To say that National Treasure strains one’s credibility is an understatement … and again, so what? It’s no worse than dozens of action/adventure films I’ve seen and enjoyed, and lots better than dozens more. There was one lapse in plot logic, one fairly stupid “clue” leading to the treasure, and a bit of a hard nut to swallow near the end. But it avoided several clichés I was expecting with dread, and it handled most of the other clichés you can’t avoid with panache, in particular the comical sidekick, who got in a few good ones. It is really nothing more than a minor amusement, doesn’t pretend to be anything else, and I have to give it a recommendation, though not a hearty one.