Seems like we're getting back on an even keel with the rating viewings now. Quite liking the new pag...
Seems like we're getting back on an even keel with the rating viewings now. Quite liking the new pages in a way. Thanks for all your rates.
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The 2004 film National Treasure took about $350 million at the box office worldwide. This prompted producer Jerry Bruckheimer to give the go ahead for a sequel to be made, and last year saw the release of National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets. The film took just over a month to outgross the 2004 film, and is every bit as entertaining an action film as the first, if a little far fetched.
The Plot
Not long after the end of the Civil War in America, Ben Gates' great great grandfather Thomas is approached with a diary and asked to solve a cipher, a puzzle, for which he is well renowned. In the ensuing minutes, he uncovers a treasure map which gets him killed in the same instant as John Wilkes Boothe kills President Abraham Lincoln. His dying breath issues an instruction to his son, Gates' great grandfather.
Many years later, Mitch Wilkinson appears at one of Gates' lectures with a parchment with Thomas Gates' name on it, accusing the family of being part of the plot to assassinate Lincoln. Ben seizes the opportunity to examine
the parchment and uncovers part of the cipher. Thus begins a treasure hunt taking them across the world to find Cibola, the lost City of Gold. As Gates and Wilkinson try to achieve the City's discovery ahead of the other, conspiracies and secrets are uncovered all around as this rollercoaster of entertainment unfolds, leading us to a thrilling finale.
The Cast and Performances
There is a good cast on show here, and they all work well together. Nicolas Cage once more takes up the role of Ben Gates, and gives a very good performance, if a little over the top at times. Diane Kruger plays ex-girlfriend and fellow history enthusiast Abigail, with a hilarious Justin Bartha playing tech wiz and sidekick Riley.
Jon Voight and Helen Mirren are brilliantly entertaining as Ben's parents, bickering throughout and showing their pedigree as actors, and Harvey Keitel returns once more as FBI chief Peter Sadusky, giving gravitas and wisdom to the film. Ed Harris is positively menacing as Wilkinson. Of late, Harris has taken up roles which seem to give him something to sink his teeth into. He showed how menacing he can be in A History of Violence, and here he does a similarly good job. Bruce Greenwood plays the US President, and does very well. Greenwood is an accomplished presidential actor, having played the role in other films before. The actor has racked up a number of quality films under his belt, and gives a convincing performance here, too. The remainder of the cast support well.
My Opinion
If you're looking for unadulterated action and adventure and don't want to criticise or look between the cracks, then look no further. National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets is a rollercoaster action adventure film with fast paced location changing scenery. The camera work and special effects are brilliantly done, and the actors are all incorporated into this as well.
In terms of settings, director Jon Turteltaub has gone to town, filming in Buckingham Palace, the Library of Congress, Mount Rushmore and the centre of Paris. Throw in some car chases and you have your rollercoaster.
Now for the critique. The main thing here is the believability factor. Setting aside the fantastical plotline about a lost City of Gold (I won't spoil the film by telling you any more), there are many moments that are unbelievable. Tapping into Buckingham Palace's security systems so they can come and go as they please, a car chase across London (like the traffic would ever let that happen!), penetrating the Oval Office and the Library of Congress' most secure area, with no apparent restrictions seems a bit far fetched to me. Also, I wonder which manufacturer has created a standard mobile phone that manages to work after being completely submerged under water for a decent period of time - I want one!
In watching this, I knew it was going to unbelievable. If the director and producers had stuck to what is believable, it would have been a boring film, so I watched this with a pinch, nay a tub of salt, and thoroughly enjoyed, despite the heckling from my wife such as 'Oh, that's ridiculous!' every five minutes. It's ridiculous, sure, but it's ridiculously fun, too, and well worth the watch.
National Treasure 2: The Book of Secrets has just been released on DVD in the UK, and is available from amazon.co.uk for £11.98. Naturally, wait a while and this price will drop, but it's entertaining for sure, and worth a buy at some point.
I'm going to give this 4 stars out of 5. It kept me entertained for the near two hours of its length, and even some of the most cinematic masterpieces don't do that. Thumbs up Bruckheimer!
This review may also be posted on dooyoo.co.uk.
Thanks for reading.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Action/Adventure - Director: Gore Verbinski - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Chow Yun-Fat
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Advantages: Good escapism, quite action packed, one for conspiracy theorists! Disadvantages: Very American!, story is pretty far stretched and confusing (though still quite enjoyable)
Advantages: Kids will enjoy being able to follow the clues. Disadvantages: Adults may feel shortchanged by the poor production values and spoon-feeding script.
Advantages: Good escapism, quite action packed, one for conspiracy theorists! Disadvantages: Very American!, story is pretty far stretched and confusing (though still quite enjoyable)
Advantages: Kids will enjoy being able to follow the clues. Disadvantages: Adults may feel shortchanged by the poor production values and spoon-feeding script.
Jun 22nd, 2008
very helpful by (100%):
