Ben and his father, Patrick, learn that their ancestor, Thomas Gates, may have been involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I wonder what the sleeping guy next to me thought.NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS stars Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Gates, the treasure-hunting historian.
National treasure book of secrets full movie movie#
Just because a movie might not be Oscar worthy doesn't mean that you still can't enjoy it. There is something for everyone whether you're looking for some laughter or a bit of suspense. What I will tell you is that if you're looking for a fun, wholesome film that you can take your family to this Christmas weekend, then National Treasure: Book of Secrets won't let you down. Other critics are going to pick it apart like I did and then tell everyone to skip it.
You have to take this one for what it is and what I said at the beginning, a fun family film. Did I still enjoy it? Yes, I did enjoy it, just not immensely. It's a film that consists of poor performances, plot holes, and regurgitated ideas from the first film. Obviously, I didn't think this movie was done very well. The only person I really liked (but wasn't in it much) was the President ( Bruce Greenwood). I can't really put my finger on it but he came across as very awkward. Jon Voight was also off his game in this. His last few performances in Ghost Rider, The Wicker Man, and Next were just plain bad. This is a shame as I know he can be a great actor from movies like Adaptation, Matchstick Men, and Lord of War. Cage seemed to jump between his recently boring wooden side and his yelling, overacting-trying-to-be-passionate side. In this sequel, Ben Gates goes as far as to get the President of the United States involved in his treasure hunt in National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Obviously, Bartha is there to provide some comic relief and for Cage to bounce clever one-liners off of, while Keitel is again on the pursuit of Cage to provide an extremely weak sense of urgency in finding the treasure. Other friends from the first film are brought back: sidekick Riley Poole ( Justin Bartha) and FBI agent Sadusky ( Harvey Keitel). Watching a separated couple argue with each other about what he said or she said while trying to escape from Buckingham Palace is just annoying and frustrating. If the holes aren't enough, they also deal with a struggling relationship between Ben Gates and Abigail Chase ( Diane Kruger). They end up rushing from clue to clue so quickly that it's like the director doesn't want to give the audience time to catch all the holes in the story. This is unfortunate because it was the coolest concept of the movie. Plus, the "book of secrets", which is in the title of the film, barely has anything to do with the plot. I have no idea how they got from Chinese puzzle desks to needing to kidnap the President of the United States. In this second film, the historical explanations for clues are spit out quickly, and frankly just don't make sense. Knowing your history in the first film was the only way you would be able to find the treasure. In the first film they delved into history much more and were able to tie all the clues together in interesting ways. The problem is that the story is much less clever and intriguing as the first film. I guess they assumed that since it worked for the first one they might as well try it again. Cage has to follow historical clues to find a treasure whose existence will clear their family name. Patrick Gates ( Jon Voight) is disheartened by the news and so Ben sets off to find historical evidence that will prove the Gates family innocent.īen Gates and Abigail Chase are back on the historical hunt for even more long lost treasure in National Treasure: Book of Secrets.ĭoesn't that plot sound really familiar? It should, because it's just about the same film as the first National Treasure. Mitch Wilkinson ( Ed Harris) brings forth evidence that points to Thomas Gates' involvement in the assassination, a missing page of John Wilkes Booth's diary. This time Ben's great grandfather, Thomas Gates, is accused of being the mastermind behind the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the continuing story of Ben Gates ( Nicolas Cage) trying to clear his family name from embarrassment. If you're going by yourself, like the guy who was sleeping next to me, this one might not be for you. That doesn't mean it was all that great either, but for the audience it is trying to reach, made up of parents and their kids, it succeeds. To be honest, I have no problem with this. It's a very simple story that has no depth so you don't have to spend much time thinking and can spend more time watching. Let's start off by stating exactly what National Treasure: Book of Secrets is: a fun family film. Ken's Review: National Treasure: Book of Secrets - Poorly Done But Still Enjoyable
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