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But then again - if your
stupid enough to fall for the clever trailer tricks of Bruckheimer by
this stage... you probably deserve to have your money taken from you
anyway.
The follow up to 2004's National Treasure
(which took a phenomenal $347M Worldwide, while this one took $457M Worldwide) again takes us on the
adventures of treasure hunter Ben
Gates (Nicolas Cage) who sets out on yet another action-packed global
quest to unearth hidden treasures. This time around, a missing page
from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces which implicates Ben's
Great-Grandfather as a key conspirator in
Abraham Lincoln's death. In order to prove his ancestor's innocence,
Gates follows an international chain of clues which takes him on a
chase
from Paris to London and ultimately back to the States (and to one of
the history's most sought after treasure).
Let's just get this out of the way, National Treasure 2
is pure surgary junk. The jokes fall flat, there is no chemistry what
so ever
with the cast, the plot is down right ludicrous (however, after the new
Indy flick, nothing seems far fetched anymore) - and Nicholas Cage's
teeth look like they were stolen from the set of The Mask.
The
twists and turns are just so ridiculous, implausible, illogical
unwarranted & unexplained (I could have sworn there was at
least one security guard in
the entire Buckingham Palace!! At least Indiana Jones put a bit of effort into creating credibility) that there will be more than a few
times throughout the flick you could be excused for thinking you are
watching an expensive version of Relic Hunter (minus Tia Carrare).
Even
more inexplicable is the all-star cast on offer, with more than a
handful of Academy favourites part of the proceedings (obviously added
to hide the fact the film itself hasn't a skerrig of credibility). Ed
Harris takes it all rather seriously and brings some weight to an
otherwise unwritten cliche character, Helen Mirren is (admittedly)
fantastic as Gate's mother, while John Voight does his best-worst Sean
Connery impersonation as Gate's father (who is still just a treasure
hunter at heart, of course). The only problem seems to be Cage (who I'm
amazed people still haven't realised is a terrible, terrible actor).
It's hollow, over formulaic sugar
coating of a far superior product - which is exactly why it made a
bundle at the Box Office (as will the next sequel) and is exactly why
it's probably one of the most watchable flicks of the summer.
There are good no brainer popcorn films, and there are bad
no brainer popcorn flicks. But history has shown us that even the bad
no brainers end up living on as 'so-bad-they're-good' (Case in Point:
Steven Segal's career), so I will happily admit that in spite of every
part of my body hating every moment.... National Treasure 2 is actually quite bad - in a totally good way.
It's
not setting out to break any new ground, it's simply out to entertain
you and keep you occupied for two hours - and in that regard - National Treasure : Book of Secrets is surprisingly good value for money. The final action piece is good fun - and the set's look pretty damn cool (think Goonies meets Raiders of the Lost Ark).
Well
worth checking out - because it's not as bad as it actually is (if that
makes sense). However, do the world a favour and make sure you revist Raiders of the Lost Ark as well - if only to see how good a film like this actually can be. EXTRAS
The
2-Disc Edition is pretty impressive. There is a stupid amount of
Extras, which is a rarity these days (normally 2-Disc Editions contain
just enough to warrant it even being included on a second disc).
There
are a whole bunch of behind the scenes featurettes which cover every
facet of the film, the best of which is a recap from the creators about
how you go about putting together a sequel to a film that did crazily
well at the Box Office.
The Gag Reel seems to be more fun for
those on the screen than those watching, but a feature on the
construction of the sets is well worth watching. The sheer scale of
this production is phenominal.
A great little package, however,
it is easily one of the most difficult Menu systems to navigate I've
ever encountered. But perhaps that's the point, perhaps it's all part
of the puzzle!
Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 70%
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