'Book of Secrets' is for 'Treasure' hunters

By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY
For those who like their history lessons light and airy and infused with a generic sense of excitement, there's National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
This movie and its 2004 predecessor, National Treasure, offer nothing challenging or stimulating (and may play fast and loose with historical accuracy), but they provide audiences with a sense that they have learned a thing or two. Whether they have or not is immaterial. What these movies really are about is a kind of retro escapism, a family-appropriate adventure saga that just wants to entertain, not break new ground.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who seems to have the Midas touch in a multitude of venues, has cleverly hit on a hit formula: old-fashioned entertainment with modern production values and underlying themes of patriotism and family loyalty. The movies don't stint on the excitement expected in the action-adventure genre — harrowing car chases, perilous stunts — but they have a wholesome quality lacking in current mainstream fare. A Disney action film with a PG rating is a sure winner, particularly for the holidays.

There's nothing new or terribly creative about these movies, but they follow a pattern that diverts and satisfies audiences.

Nicolas Cage reprises his role as treasure hunter Ben Gates, as does Jon Voight, who plays his historian father, Patrick Gates. Diane Kruger is back as his love interest, as is Justin Bartha, as sidekick Riley Poole. New to the genre are Ed Harris, as a villainous antiquities dealer who wants to drag the Gates name through the mud, and Helen Mirren, as a linguistic professor who also happens to be Ben's mother and Patrick's contentious ex-wife.

This tale focuses on a missing page in the diary of John Wilkes Booth that implicates Ben's great-grandfather in Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Ben is hell-bent on restoring his ancestor's reputation and endures a series of close calls and near-escapes to do so. Bruce Greenwood plays the U.S. president, who figures into the proceedings in a far-fetched way. Greenwood ought to just throw his hat into the ring for 2008 since he seems to be filmmakers' go-to guy for residence in the White House.

This sequel is what you would expect: If you liked the original, you'll probably enjoy this retread. But be warned: It bogs down in a drawn-out scene near the end. There's certainly nothing to treasure about this movie, but if a popcorn movie with moderate intrigue and occasional humor is what you're after, this is just the ticket.