National Treasure: Book of Secrets

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a fairly easy to watch, fun movie. Like all treasure hunt movies the ending is largely predictable but what makes them engaging and fun is the journey following the trail. Watching just how everything comes together.

As per usual with my movie posts, this article is my thoughts on the film. If you're looking for a story outline try visiting the official web site or maybe read this review by Jason P. Vargo of DVDTown.com.

I haven't seen the first film in this series but I knew that because this was an entirely new adventure for these characters I wouldn't be at much of a disadvantage. There are some obvious references to the first film and maybe even some subtle ones that I missed but I don't think any were critical to my understanding of the plot.

Nicolas Cage plays treasure hunter, Ben Gates, a largely forgettable character in the movie world. Much like Robert Langdon (played by Tom Hanks) in The Da Vinci Code. A movie that both these films should be compared to and not the Indiana Jones series as some critics have. As I recall the original National Treasure movie was released to try and capitalize on the growing interest of the Da Vinci Code novel and it's imminent release as a film at the time.

Robert Langdon, the sometimes nerdy super brain yet ordinary guy, is Ben Gates peer not the swash buckling action hero that is Indiana Jones. Everyone remembers Indy. Only the die hard National Treasure fans will remember Ben.

Ben is surrounded by a small team of people, most notable is his assistant, Riley (played by Justin Bartha), who has a talent for breaking into almost any security system you care to name like most of us log on to the internet (difficulty factor zero). Ben may be the 'cool' nerd of the picture but Riley is the 'super geek' with out a doubt.

I have to say, I do like this kind of film where they try to string together a real (or even completely fictional) mystery together using real world historical facts, icons, artifacts, legends and stories. It tends to give the plot that hint of 'well this may possibly be true' even though you know it probably isn't.

For example, I'm sure anyone who sees this film will forever be wondering if the twin Resolute Desks, one owned by the Queen of England and the other by the President of the USA, are really built with a secret compartment opened by a combination lock system involving the correct sequence of open drawers? Do you think the real Queen or President saw this film and then went back home and checked - just to be sure?

What about the 'Book of Secrets', the President of the USA's book, handed on to each consecutive President, revealing the truth about every mystery, conspiracy theory and more that Joe and Jane public can only speculate upon? It's not a spoiler talking about this but I was disappointed by its appearance. Just for a brief second I thought they'd go all Da Vinci Code and reveal that this book wasn't actually a literal book but then they found it. Considering how old it's meant to be, it didn't seem to be that big - maybe there are fewer conspiracies than we think?

The movie does seem to hint at another film in this series involving page 47 of the President's book. Unless I missed something but regardless, I can see this book playing a crucial role in filling big gaping plot holes in future films in the franchise.

I don't want to over analyze the film because it does have some really questionable moments that only make sense if you're along for the ride. If you stop and think too hard you'll go from one 'oh that would never happen' to the next and completely spoil your experience.

It is a fun film and comparing the movie to the movie trailer I suspect there were quite a number of deleted scenes that would make the DVD version a really interesting purchase. (There are scenes in the trailer that aren't present in the final film, such as in the trailer there are scenes at the Lincoln Memorial).

If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code then this will be a film you'll enjoy too. It's not quite as intelligent with the plot but it is fun and the humor works really well.

Comments

Robot Uprising Update: 1X Plans to Build 100,000 Humanoids by 2027 - I, Robot's Vision of the Future Getting Closer

1X Technologies, Robot for the Home, Neo. B ack in 2022 Google announced it had a small army of 100 AI enabled robots training at the company to become home helpers. As far as I know these robots, which were visually, little more than a pedestal on wheels with a mechanical arm and a head full of cameras, haven't emerged in anyone's home (and haven't banded together, laser guns attached, to start robot Armageddon either). Undeterred by Google's lack of progress, along with the rapid advances in humanoid robots, 1X Technologies , a robotics company based in Norway and San Francisco, focused on creating humanoid robots for your home, plans to build 100,000 of its Neo Humanoid robots for the home by 2027. That puts them into I, Robot territory. Let's hope they don't own any big, omnidirectional trucks to facilitate the roll out on mass, while some old school, naysayer detective tries to warn everyone that something isn't right! 1X Technologies, who have at le

I'm Joining the Illuminati Brotherhood By Personal Invitation of Hiltom Rothschild... Wait, What?

How special am I to have finally come of age (53 years young) and am now eligible to participate in building the world alongside other members of the Illuminati Brotherhood... Yes I've received the call by way of an email, which I'm sure is real because I had to translate it from the Dutch language and it was personally written by Hiltom Rothschild, one of the non-existent members of the Rothschild family (or perhaps deep undercover because Google has never heard of them?). A Transcript of the email below: To: etourist From: Illuminati Brotherhood Subject: Illuminati Broederschap (Illuminati Brotherhood) I am Hiltom Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild family, one of the 13 families of the Illuminati brotherhood. I'm here to let you know that you've come of age and are eligible to participate in building the 🌎 world. It is a calling and a privilege to honor him with pride and gratitude as not everyone will ever be chosen by the LIGHT, many are called but few are ch

US Presidential Debate 1.5 - Now with 50% Less Old Man (Thanks to The Daily Show for That Joke)

Trump and Harris both gave a clear insight into what they were about at their first Presidential debate. W hat a difference a competent opposition to Donald Trump makes. Watching the second, or first? Let's call it debate 1.5 since it's Trump's second debate and Kamala Harris' first in this US election campaign. Watching debate 1.5 my overall impression is, regardless of which candidate you support, and if you don't drill down too deep into what each actually said, both looked like they delivered a strong performance. After the debate the Left media seemed to think Donald took every piece of bait Kamala threw out, and was flustered, and even shouting at one point. I watched the whole debate and at no point did I feel Trump was shouting - no more than he would at any public rally to get his point across. He certainly never look flustered either. He did exactly what Kamala was doing when he heard something that he felt was false or inaccurate, he asked if he could res

TV Series Review: Batman: Caped Crusader (2024) Very Minor Spoilers

I 'm not a huge fan of DC animation in general, despite owning a lot of their movies and TV series on DVD. It may be because they tend to stick to adaptations of the comics a little too much, or it may be that the over exaggerated action that cartoons allow makes it feel like there's never any real stakes for the characters. With that in mind, if I'm going to like anything from DC Animation it's likely to be Batman related. I recently watched the entire Batman: The Animated Series when it came to Netflix, having never seen the whole series when it originally aired. Which I'm obliged to mention since Batman: Caped Crusader is helmed by the same creator, Bruce Timm. Just like that series, Caped Crusader is set in an undisclosed time period but the look, style, and lack of tech used, even by Batman, suggests somewhere around post World War II era, possibly stretching into the 1950s. It could even be 1930's but I feel the vehicles look a little more modern than th

Movie Review: Madame Web (2024) Minor Spoilers

I 'm willing to bet a lot of people haven't seen this film, and probably will never plan to watch it. Madame Web was poorly reviewed by critics and largely ignored by audiences. For myself, I'll only see a Sony superhero movie in cinemas if Spiderman is actually in it. For everything else I can wait until it hits a streaming service I'm subscribed to. Sony's Spiderman/Marvel adjacent movies aren't actually terrible movies. They're not great movies either but I've never put one on and not watched it all the way to the end. I do find them watchable... just not really rewatchable. Madame Web is an origin story for the title character (Dakota Johnson), and three other future Spider Women (that I'm not all that familiar with) who suddenly find themselves being pursued by a dark figure with very spider-like powers. The problem with this movie, in my opinion, is the writers forgot that the main reason anyone comes to see a comic book superhero movie is to

Book Review: Fourth Wing & Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros - The Empyrean Series

I wasn't familiar with Rebecca Yarros prior to receiving the first two books in her Empyrean Series, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame , as a gift. (Note: links will take you to the audible product page versions of the book on Amazon and are affiliate links. You should be able to find links to physical copies of the books from there if you prefer). It's been a long time that I've read a book that I don't want to put down after the time I have to read for the day is over. These two books, which are not insignificant in size at 498 and 623 pages respectively are page turners from beginning to end (almost but I'll get to that later). The story is set in a fantasy mythical world where dragons and magic are common place. Fourth Wing opens as Violet, the younger, weaker daughter of a fairly infamous general in a dragon riders army, is pushed into the first year of dragon rider school, rather than her preferred, and prepared for, path of scribe school. Both her mother (the afor

Robot Uprising Update: Robot Waiter, Fasta Pasta, South Terrace, Adelaide CBD, South Australia

On the second evening of my partner, Enigma, and I's weekend stay in Adelaide we decided to have dinner at Fasta Pasta . Strangely enough our hotel staff, at the Alba, had not mentioned Fasta Pasta as an option for an evening meal while their restaurant is closed for refurbishment, even though it is literally next door on the corner of South Terrace and Pultney Street. You may be aware that Fasta Pasta is an upmarket Italian restaurant franchise with its beginnings in Adelaide. Currently they have 19 restaurants Australia wide (with the majority in South Australia - we even have one in Gawler, our home town). I've never had bad food at a Fasta Pasta, and their food never looks like a franchise meal. You always feel you're at a restaurant that's a little bit more quality than your typical hotel/motel meal. Maybe it's because you don't see as much pasta based meals on an Aussie pub menu. Despite the name, it's not all pasta. I went with a basic plate of fish a

TET.Life (The Extraordinary Tourist Life)

Search This Blog