National Treasure: Book Of Secrets

By Nathan Young

Anyone who has seen 'National Treasure' knows that it is a fun movie with dazzling special effects and an outrageous plot. Anyone looking for something different from the sequel should look elsewhere.

'National Treasure: Book Of Secrets' doesn't change the formula that worked so well the first time. While it inevitably does not live up to the original, it is an entertaining way to spend two hours. That is what causes me to give this movie a 'thumbs up'.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is giving a guest lecture at a college about the night President Lincoln was killed when he is interrupted by Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), who claims he has evidence that Ben's great grandfather played a role in the assassination. Ben and his father Patrick (Jon Voight) dismiss the charges, but are puzzled by Wilkinson's seemingly irrefutable evidence.

Ben enlists his sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha) and his now ex-girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger) to help him research the document for clues that Mitch is wrong. Predictably, Ben eventually finds that the document in question is the first part of a treasure map. This sets in motion a series of events that lead Ben and the gang on a globe-trotting mission to find the treasure before Mitch and his band of henchmen.

The cast in this movie is essentially the same as the original, with the exception of Harris and the talented Helen Mirren as Ben's mother. The main players are fine, but Bartha again steals the show as Riley. He adds much of the comic relief and makes every scene he is in more fun. Mirren and Voight are both legendary actors, and they are great together here. Their strained relationship is played up for laughs, but the longer the movie goes, the closer they become. Harris is also excellent as the conflicted Wilkinson.

The movie is a fun ride despite few surprises and a high level of predictibility. The audience is again asked to check their sense of reality at the door. An unblievable car chase and the entire final sequence are among the 'yeah, right!' moments. It is worth seeing though, especially when you add in the hilarious short film beforehand. 'How To Hook Up Your Home Theater', featuring the beloved Disney character Goofy, is worth the price of admission alone.