Book of Secrets should stay hidden.
Review: National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG)
DESPITE being a sub-standard actioner, the first National Treasure movie displayed an Indiana Jones-style promise for possible improvements to come.
However, any hope has been quickly quashed with its limp sequel Book of Secrets which is simply more of the same.
Don't get me wrong, the second film (like the first) is passable for family entertainment, but it's pretty much the same movie – just swopping Sean Bean for Ed Harris.
Unoriginally, this time Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) again aims to steal treasure from ludicrous places – but this time he wants to do it in an even more improbable fashion than last time.
When glory-hunting Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) casts aspersions on the good name of Ben's great-grandfather by linking him to the Lincoln assassination plot, Ben gets his team back together – ex-Abigail (Diane Kruger) and failed-author Riley (Justin Bartha) – and even brings along father Patrick (Jon Voight), and later even his mom Emily (Helen Mirren) for the ride, to clear his name.
The first hour or so is a pretty turgid affair as Gates travels to London to break into Buckingham Palace (please note a truly embarrassing scene where Cage woefully attempts to imitate the British accent in an extremely cringeworthy fashion) and Book of Secrets shows a complete lack of invention to even raise your interest.
But to be fair, after Ben breaks into the White House and then kidnaps the President (Bruce Greenwood) - you know, as you do - it does have a colourfully watchable last half hour that goes someway to redeeming itself – if still remaining absolutely preposterous.
Unfortunately Cage continues his uninspirational acting streak on the back of Ghost Rider and Next, with veterans Voight, Harris and Mirren simply in it for the bumper pay cheque.
It's no surprise this has been lapped up by audiences Stateside with lashings and lashings of patriotism thrown in, but cinema-goers really deserve more craft and imagination than this sub-standard recycled pap – that is just about saved by its glossy finish.
It may be called Book of Secrets, but it's about as easy to read as Peter and Jane. 2/5
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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