National Treasure: Book of Secrets

2007 action adventure movie

Rating: 12/20

Plot: Historical treasure hunter Ben Gates is back and all ready for the chance to make a sequel and watch the dough roll in. This time, finding the treasure (in this case the legendary Mayan city of gold) will also (somehow) save his family name (implausibly) and reconnect him (clichely) with his estranged wife (lamely). The ever-deepening mystery of Abraham Lincoln's assassination (you sockdologizing old mantrap!) takes Ben Gates and his posse to France, England, Washington, and South Dakota. Or North Dakota. I can never remember where Mt. Rushmore is. I'm pretty sure it's South Dakota though. Ben Gates would know! He knows everything!

When the first movie came out, it was already my third favorite movie of all time before I had even seen it. The line "[normal dramatic Nicolas Cage voice] I think the dollar bill is trying [changing into an overly dramatic Nicolas Cage whisper] to tell me something" was something I quoted for months! When I finally saw that first movie on a plane, I was disappointed that it wasn't in the movie. I was surprised, however, that I liked that first movie. It was an entertaining pile of stupid, and all the historical stuff worked into the story seemed fresh. This sequel is as entertaining, probably only worse than the first because it's no longer fresh. Suspend disbelief, ignore plot holes galore, tolerate America's worst actor, allow the action to take place much much too quickly, excuse Disney's lack of grit, and forgive the abundance of cliches, and this is easy to enjoy. It's not great film-making and probably far from it, but nothing about this one would make me not want to watch a third installment.

I watched this one at my school. That's right. We're two weeks into the school year and already showing our kids movies. All the children on the team watched it though, so we at least didn't leave any of them behind.