I was excited to see this film after having been pleasantly surprised by the first. I had also taken a trip recently to Philadelphia which had featured prominently in that film. While we were there, the trailers for this movie started airing on TV and my family decided to rent the first one to whet our appetites. I'm proud to report that I was not disappointed when we finally made it to the theater to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
The film picks up a couple of years after its predecessor. Much has changed. Riley (Justin Bartha) is no longer filthy rich, and Ben (Nicolas Cage) and Abigail (Diane Kruger) are no longer seeing each other, which is disappointing to those of us who watched them get together in the first movie. Gates and his father, on the other hand, have formed a solid relationship. However, we are introduced to Gates' mother whose estranged relationship with her son and her ex-husband form a formidable obstacle to be overcome. Yeah, yeah. So what about the treasure? Well, this one has its origins in the end of the Civil War and the question as to whether Ben Gates' great-grandfather was involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. When a mysterious southerner shows up with a missing page to John Wilkes Booth's diary, the stage is set for a new treasure hunt, this one taking them to Paris, London, the White House, and even Mt. Rushmore.
This movie has several things going for it. First of all, it helps to spark an interest in American History. For those currently in school learning about Lincoln or Washington, and even those of us who have been out of school for a while, the mystery and curiosity surrounding such great leaders mixed with modern-day landmarks and popular vacation destinations (the Lincoln Monument, the Eiffel Tower, the Library of Congress, etc) provides for the most engaging of stories, allowing our imaginations to run wild. Secondly, treasure hunting is fun! Who among us hasn't at some point in our lives wanted to find hidden treasure? Thirdly, Riley Poole provides for some great humor and excellent one-liners to be repeated in middle schools everywhere. Yet another positive for this movie is in how impossible obstacles area overcome, whether they be finding secrets in heavily protected areas or in bringing such antagonistic characters together for eventual mutual acceptance and friendship. Finally, as an amateur movie-maker myself, this movie just had everything in it that I would ever want, and I'm jealous of the production quality and the ability to bring impossible scenes to life.
This movie is not without its faults, however. A bit disappointing was the film's main villain, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris). There isn't much background for or development of his character. He also isn't very competitive with Ben Gates. Rather than battling him with wit or skill, he just follows him around like a vulture hoping to get a bit of leftovers from a kill. Another disappointing feature was the somewhat corny relationship between Ben's parents. The reason for their breakup seems silly, but perhaps that's the point.
Complaints aside, this is simply a fantastic movie that had everything that I would ever want in a film (action, romance, suspense, humor, clean for kids, exciting car chases, and just plain FUN!).
My thumb is way up for this one!
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