National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
History
comes alive in Disney's National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets,
or at least it seems to! If you didn't see the first National Treasure movie,
the basic idea behind these films is simple: Nicholas Cage plays Benjamin
Gates, a treasure hunter who uses his knowledge of history to uncover...you
got it, national treasures. National Treasure 2 takes Gates
on a spin around the world as he tries to reveal hidden details about
Abraham Lincoln's assassination, and trust me, this sequel is even faster
and crazier than the first.
It starts when Gates learns his great-grandfather may have been involved in Lincoln's assassination. Unwilling to believe this, he sets out to clear his grandfather's name, uncovering some major secrets and pulling off some crazy stunts along the way. With his wife, father, mother and trusty assistant in tow, he finds himself in some dangerous situations (did anyone say high speed car chase?) because - not surprisingly - while he is hot on the trail of a big treasure, someone else is hot on his trail and wants to find the treasure first.
All in all, it's a very fun movie and leaves you wondering what sorts of secrets really are hidden in the past. My only complaint is that parts of the movie don't seem all that realistic. For example, to find the treasure, Gates has to follow a series of clues. Each clue leads to more clues, and he has to use his knowledge of history to break them and figure out what his next step should be. It's a regular treasure hunt! But unlike the treasure hunts you and I may have participated in, these clues aren't obvious at all and it seems like he would have to do at least a little bit of research to crack them. I mean, I feel like he should have had to Google at least a few of these. But no, Gates follows bizarre strings of logic that somehow, miraculously, give him the right answer and land him in the right place, and all off the top of his head! I'd like to believe someone has the knowledge and the logic to do that, but I'm doubtful.
If you can look past that, I think the movie is a fun way to enjoy history and adventure all at the same time. And the nice thing is, it's pretty appropriate for all ages. You could watch it with your friends or with your parents, and I bet it would keep everyone's attention. This movie may not be a classic, but it's sure to be a big hit.
SmartGirl comments:
by Sara,
age 12.
I looooved that movie! Even better than the first!
