Review: National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

I went to see a New Year’s Day movie today, something I don’t usually have the pleasure of doing, but which was a fun way to spend a few hours on this lazy holiday. Luckily, we were able to get to the theater before evening set in, so the chintzy side of me was very happy to pay matinée price for a movie that I didn’t have high expectation for, and now you wonderful people get to hear what I though about “National Treasure: Book of Secrets.” Unlike some movie reviews I’m not going to give you a plot summary, just my impressions of the movie overall - I am not yet sure what the best format for movie reviews will be here at Review Bunker, but let’s call this my test case - feel free to tell me what you think (but keep in mind that I am still getting over the flu, before you judge me). Anyway, on to the review…

Assuming you can stand Nicolas Cage playing a know-it-all history nerd/action hero, and a movie chock full of incredibly far-fetched and action packed clue finding & treasure hunting scenarios, then “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” doesn’t turn out all that bad, especially for a sequel. I imagine that the screenwriter could have come up with a more impressive name than “Book of Secrets” - but I do have to admit after watching the film, the name unfortunately does fit in with the plot. I would certainly not recommend seeing this movie if you haven’t seen the first “National Treasure” - there are far too many things that go unexplained otherwise. Also, I would recommend that if you have seen the first movie, be prepared to see a lot of the same type of puzzle solving Indiana Jones/Mission Impossible type action that is portrayed in the first film - albeit, with new plot twists.

The plot of “Book of Secrets” does have a good pace to it, and has enough unique story to keep the audience interested, but you will find yourself being subtly reminded of the first “National Treasure” film consistently throughout “Book of Secrets.” Also, you may be disappointed (or thrilled, depending on your opinion) to find that the cast of treasure hunters from the first movie has barely changed in this sequel, making the two movies seem even more similar than they probably should.

Luckily, “Book of Secrets” is able to pull off a few jokes, providing some entertainment for the audience - mostly through the comic relief of Justin Bartha’s character, Riley Poole. Consequently, if you happen to watch this movie and you spend a good deal of time trying to figure out why Justin Bartha’s voice is so familiar, I’ve solved the mystery for you - he sounds eerily similar to comedian Patton Oswalt (you can thank me later for saving you the mental anguish).

Unfortunately, the ultimate motive of the movie’s principle antagonist seems so weak and improbably once you reach the climactic finish, that the power of the entire plot is diminished. If you are able to see past this fact, you may also be disappointed in how similar the end of “Book of Secrets” is to the original “National Treasure.” If you can see past both of these flaws, the movie ends decently, and is obviously well set up for movie #3 - hopefully for the third movie they have a better title planned than “Book of Secrets.”

So, if you are planning on seeing a movie sometime in the near future, and you enjoyed the first “National Treasure,” this sequel would be a decent choice - just be prepared to not be totally blown away.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets: 3/5

Did you see a movie over the holidays? Have you seen “Book of Secrets”? What did you think?

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