Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer: Marianne Wibberley & Cormac Wibberley
Genre: Action/Adventure/Mystery/Thriller
Story
Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is at it again. In National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, Gates is faced with the accusation that one of his ancestors actually helped in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. As Gates tries to discover the truth and prove the innocence of his family name, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) is trying to use Gates to find the treasure he wants.
Everything Else
The directing of Book of Secrets is very familiar if you have seen the first film. It is still filled with the cheesy dialog and jokes and unbelievable Indiana Jones like action. There is plenty of excitement, but the story and acting do not excel.
The action and comedy actually seem to have the complete opposite effect on the story and acting. With each scene you have to allow yourself to be more and more open to the possibility that any of the things that Gates does are even possible. If you can get beyond this major characteristic of this film then you should be fine with everything else. Book of Secrets delves into conspiracy theory and treasure hunting in an entertaining if not so believable fashion that should keep most viewers entertained throughout.
The Real Deal
I liked Book of Secrets even though it was not the best movie. It was exactly what I had expected it to be so it did not disappoint. If I had gone into the film thinking that it was going to be better than the first film (or more believable) then it could have been more painful watching this one. National Treasure is not supposed to be believable or have great story or acting, but rather it is meant for pure entertainment value and it seems to live up to that.
David’s Score: 6/10
Written by Dave of DavesMovieReviews.com
Can't totally agree with your review. On the whole BOS wasn't as good as the first, but it still had the fun, action, and humor that made the first one so good. It also had a lot history/US trivia that makes it a fun movie.
All in all, I think it was what it was trying to be, a fun family movie.
Didn't Dave say that? He liked it for the pure entertainment value?
Yeah, I guess I liked it a little more. Probably would give it 7.5/10.
I saw the first movie and thought it was great. The 2nd one was really good… but I felt it focused too much on Nicolas Cage. I know the storyline revolves around him but it felt like he was in every scene and the rest were cut down. It had funny moments but not as much as the first. It was pure fun but a step down to what made the first movie great. Hopefully the third won't focus so much on Nicolas Cage's character but everyone. Riley's my favorite. I think they downplayed him in this one. I don't know if they do that on purpose though. They do this with sequels sometimes. Down play the 2nd ones ( more entertainment, action) while the third one returns to the glory of the first. Could just be me though.
I think the problem I had with the second one was how they started it with Gates and his chick (can't remember her name) being broken up. I think it got the audience started off on the wrong feeling since the last time we saw them we were rooting for them to get together and they were going to live happily ever after then this movie starts and suddenly they aren't together and the audience feels disjointed.
I guess the filmmakers felt they needed the added tension or something, but I really think it would have been better to make her a partner from the beginning instead of making feel all weird.
It turned out okay, but not nearly as good as the first one.
I can't give a thumbs up to a movie that takes the cool Jon Voigt we saw in “Heat” and emaciates him so thoroughly. And Ed Harris' character becomes so cliched by the end that it's a waste of his talent. Overall, there are far too many implausibilities and the whole thing feels way too contrived. It felt like they invented puzzles for the sake of puzzles, not to further the story in a credible way.
Honestly, I think Cage was as miscast in this as Hanks was in “The da Vinci Code” - and I'm a big fan of both actors. Cage only worked in an action hero kind of role in “Face/Off” because it relied upon him to be so quirky. These other roles that suppress his quirky to cast him as a straight up action hero just don't wash.
I agree with pretty much everything you said except I'm not a big fan of Cage at all.