National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) – 1/5

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

I liked the first one and I think it’s b/c I had very low expectations. I had a bit higher expectations from this one b/c people were telling me they liked it. But my expectations were still pretty low… not low enough.

I thought the dialogue was poorly written (“As a father, how do you expect me to take this?”) and poorly acted. It was like 5 teenagers found a camera and said “Hey, let’s make a movie real quick.”

I give it a 1 mainly b/c there was some creativity in making U.S. history mysterious. That’s about the most I can do for it.

The puzzles weren’t engaging and before you cd even think about them, Cage has solved them. They might as well not even of had them.

I assume there isn’t a book, but it felt like a thrown together movie version where they didn’t have time to flesh this and that out and so they instantly solved puzzles, found clues, traveled the world, etc.

SPOILERS

The challenges were too far fetched too: hack into Buckingham Palace (and basically do whatever you want w/ the whole place instantly), get into the Oval Office, kidnap the president, etc.

The premise was weak too: a random person makes big claims, ruins the Gates name and threatens people w/ violence and attempted murder. Why? B/c he wants to discover the city of gold and get his name in the history books (which, by the way, it worked – take note kids – that’s how you can be famous forever!).

He cd have easily gone to these guys who wd have wanted to do this anyway.

Also, I felt the tie into finding the city and clearing the Gates name to be thin. Just b/c the city exists, doesn’t mean that’s what Thomas Gates was protecting, etc.

Haiku Summary
Bad guy ruins name.
Let’s do the impossible
fast and bad acting.