NATIONAL TREASURE........a movie that going in I expected to be total dogs*it(but then why did I see it? I went with some folks and best of all, I didn't PAY!) turned out to be.....well, rather watchable. Maybe its because for a Bruckheimer-produced feature, it was directed by someone that isn't an over-editing hack like Michael Bay(or by a badly over-compensating editorially, but not a hack, Tony Scott in some of the flicks he had directed under Bruckheimer). Maybe also because it wasn't as insulting historical-wise like PEARL HARBOR was.

Then again, I don't know if its possible for an ancient 3-D map to be on the back of the Declaration of Independence, or how easily it can be stolen or how high tech the security measures are for it or if the Free Masons were that powerful to smuggle billions of dollars worth of treasure over an ocean....alot of things that one day I'll examine and poke fun at, but the movie is watchable. Decent popcorn fare it is(but for a Bruckheimer movie, its good praise).

However, that *SPOILER*...................flashback sequence with the 60+ year oldJon Voight wearing a wig and some make-up tricks to look younger by about 2-3 decades....ya me and several of my friends laughed when we saw that. Besides, even if no one had seen the TV ads or trailers, you could tell that Sean Bean was going to be the big baddie. Why? Because hes a BRITISH rich smug prick trying to steal an AMERICAN document in the Declaration of Independence and an AMERICAN-stored treasure. Its like the Nazis in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK trying to steal the Jewish artifact that is the Ark....

Oh and one final word.....I am indeed waiting for Mr.Soprano to post how I "don't know movies" because I didn't totally dig this movie(though I enjoyed it but whatever).