The second installment of Disney’s hugely successful National Treasure franchise entitled “The Book of Secrets”, starts when a missing page from the diary of Lincoln’s assassin implicates Ben’s ancestor in the crime. Determined to prove his ancestor’s innocence, Ben (Nicholas Cage) follows a chain of clues that takes him around some fantastic locations worldwide. Check out the video.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f7XC4E92fU 450 450]
Fair enough. However, I do have a wee problem with the plausibility of the scenario. You see, when you’re white, male, English and South African, you kind of get used to addressing the (considerable) sins of your forefathers. Think: slavery, colonisation, the class system, transportation, concentration camps, landmines, barbed wire – all England’s heritage. But actually NOT MY FAULT. So, should it ever come to light that Great Great Great Grandfather Cuff was posthumously accused of assassinating anybody, you could probably rest assured that I would not:
1. Kidnap the President of the United States.
2. Violate Parisian airspace with an unauthorized aircraft in the post 9-11 era
3. Break into Buckingham Palace
4. and the Library of Congress
5. Drive like mad through London (without being arrested, obviously)
But I’m just being picky. National Treasure – Book of Secrets is a fun film, the acting is good (well, it’s got Helen Mirren, hasn’t it? so that rather raises the bar) and it’s entertaining. So what if none of the main motivation makes the least bit of sense!