National Treasure: Book Of Secrets Review

Nicolas Cage is back as treasure-hunting adventurer, and infuriating know-it-all, Benjamin Franklin Gates in this sequel to the insipid 2004, Jerry Bruckheimer produced, original. Gates, after basking in the celebrity of his discoveries has a new mystery to unravel….and this time it's personal!

Yes, Gates is at the rough-end of an accusation that his ancestor, Thomas Gates, was the mastermind behind President Lincoln's assassination. This slur, readily bandied about by the shadowy Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), comes courtesy of a scrap of paper apparently torn from the John Wilkes Booth diary - a scrap of paper that may or may not hold the key to unravelling this sordid mess. Things soon descend in to 'he said, she said' territory and the scrap of paper is all the incentive Gates' needs to go off on another treasure hunt - this time to discover an ancient city of gold, the location of which can be found in the titular Book of Secrets (a page-turner passed down from President-to-President and for the President's eyes only). Along for the ride is Gates' father Patrick (Jon Voight), his trusty sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha), an estranged girlfriend (Diane Kruger) and even his mum (an oddly cast Helen Mirren). With Wilkinson on their trail, the group embark on an (Inter)National Treasure hunt dabbling in a spot of grand larceny and high treason along the way - still, it's all in a day's work for Gates.

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" finds itself in that most ignominious of categories - 'the sequel that no one really wanted in the first place'. The first "National Treasure" hardly made anyone spill their cereal with some formulaic plot points and mysteries that would hardly keep MENSA up at night. "Book of Secrets" ploughs a similar furrow and follows the old axiom; "if it ain't broke..". Despite this one making a ton of money at the US Box Office you can't help but wish that it would give things a little tweak here and there. This adventure is just a rehash of the original just with some foreign locales thrown in for good measure. And just north of two hours long you find yourself begging for the end.

Uninspired and just a little redundant.