National Treasure 2: Book Of Secrets (2007)

Rated PG for some violence and action.

124 Minutes

Directed By: Jon Turteltaub

Written By: Marianne Wibberley and Cormac Wibberley

A man has only one life time. But history can remember you forever. -Mitch Wilkinsin

Synopsis

Ben Gates is back with his crew for another adventure, but this time the stakes are much more personal.  Another adventurer has found a piece of historic evidence that links Ben’s great great grandfather to the Lincoln assassination.  Ben knows it isn’t true, but he must begin a series of discoveries in an investigation that leads him to Paris, Buckingham Palace, and even the White House, while simultaneously being chased by mercenaries after the Treasure he seeks to clear his families name.

Review

Sequels are often not as good as their predecessor, but when the original was only moderately good, you expect at least the same from the next one tossed out.  Such was not the case with National Treasure: Book Of Secrets.  It boasted a phenomenal cast and what turned out to be a pretty compelling plot and script, but none of it was ever really able to translate onscreen.

The soundtrack was just horrific.  It’s corny and campy style interjected at the wrong moments becoming a distraction rather than adding to the building suspenseful moments.  If quieter in the back round playing it may have been less of an obvious negative, but it was so cheesy and so in your face it was impossible to ignore.  The compilation of scenes often often didn’t flow together.  The acting was pitch perfect, with great delivery’s for all involved, but often their interactions seemed off from close-up to drawback.  This was obviously a flaw by the editor, director, or both.  Because of these obnoxious errors it became very difficult to connect with the transpiring events and our main character’s. 

The most frustrating aspect of those drawbacks is the fact that the story itself was indeed a lot of fun and our actors performances done very well.  If more time and care had been taken it had the ability to be just as good as it’s original.  It’s a shame that it wasn’t.

Cast

• Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates
• Justin Bartha as Riley Poole
• Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase
• Jon Voight as Patrick Gates
• Helen Mirren as Professor Emily Appleton
• Ed Harris as Mitch Wilkinsin
• Harvey Keitel as Agent Sadusky
• Bruce Greenwood as The President

There were great performances by everyone involved but Helen Mirren’s role as Ben’s mom was particularly noteworthy.  The chemistry between herself and Jon Voight put Krugers and Cages to shame.  Ed Harris playing the bad guy is always fun and Bruce Greenwood as the President was an excellent interpretation.  The character’s and actor’s that played them were outstanding.

Ratings And Suggestions

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets felt like it was quickly rushed together so the filmmakers could capitalize on a sequel so the parallel stories involving the cities of lost gold from Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull and itself would not be released simultaneously. While Book of Secrets beat Indy 4 to the release date, Indy 4 was compiled together in an elegant, love taken fashion whereas Book Of Secrets was not.  It was stamped and mailed before it was even finished.  It suffers the worst kind of fate of mediocrity in it’s ability to have been a much better movie if not rushed.  Nonetheless, it was delivered as a mundane film that by it’s finale the outcome was no longer even relevant to me.  I simply wanted to see the end credits. Book Of Secrets receives 1.5 out of 4 Stars.