You know you’re in for a ride when the opening credits shots include a long road and a tree getting hit by lightning. Fresh from a billion-dollar high-seas trilogy, Bruckheimer’s back with the second in what could possibly be another three-movie deal. And if Pirates 3 was any indication, these movies tend to get louder and more fast-paced, and in National Treasure: Book of Secrets every scene is accompanied by up-tempo background music. If you’re watching in a theater with noisy neighbors this movie is the better choice over I Am Legend, which puts stock in a lot of eerily silent shots. However, if you’re in a more civilized place you might want to watch I Am Legend first, then check if your wallet can accomodate a double feature.
There’s not much departure from the first movie; it’s been shown on the trailers that Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) has to clear his family name after an unflattering piece of John Wilkes Booth’s diary lists his great grandpa as an accomplice. How does he clear his name? By hunting for treasure, of course. If Gates finds the lost city of gold, he can prove to a black market dealer (Ed Harris) that his great grandpa was an unwilling tool and not a co-conspirator. The major difference between this and the first movie, though, is everything falls into place too easily for Gates and the gang. Back in the first National Treasure, baddie Sean Bean was constantly breathing on Cage’s back, while Harris settles for tapping Patrick Gates’ (John Voight) phone after initial success. Gates didn’t have the benefit of public trust back then either, so he had to settle for citric acid and warm breath to decipher clues while ducking the feds, instead of using high-tech artifact handling equipment and talking casually to French, English, and American authorities. Finally, the bad guy didn’t end up this soft before, but this works to the movie’s benefit (except once again for how easily things went Gates’ way) because it breaks free from stiff stereotypes and predictable scenarios, which you’ll get a lot of, particularly in the romantic angles for all 3 lead male protagonists.
All of these aside, National Treasure: Book of Secrets packs enough punch to wow audiences, but not enough history fun facts to satisfy those looking for more. 8.5 out of 10.
Technorati Tags: Movie Review, National Treasure, Book of Secrets, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, John Voight, Helen Mirren