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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!

    Movie Review: National Treasure 2

    Ok, National Treasure 2...

    I may be wrong, but when I go to see a sequel I don't expect to see a carbon copy of the previous movie. I go to see characters I care about developed more, to see potentially unexplored plot points explained, to see something more than what I got in the first film.

    Well, National Treasure 2 is basically the exact same film as National Treasure 1.



    There was a treasure hidden somewhere hundreds of years ago that was going to be used by a nefarious organization but it got lost along the way. The only way to find it is to follow a bunch of clues that are hard to find and figure out. Each clue leads us to another clue that is also hard to find and figure out. The clues are hidden in famous places that are hard to get access to so now the law is chasing us. There is a bad guy following the good guys and counting on them to figure out the clues so he can claim the treasure for himself at the end. As we get close to the treasure we must navigate our way through a rotten wood staircase/structure that threatens to drop us to our death. Eventually we find the treasure after illuminating a room when we touch our torch to a pool of oil. After we find the treasure, we must find a way out because the crumbling staircase has trapped us underground. In the end we all get rich and famous and the law decides not to send us to jail for all the bad stuff we did along the way.

    Oh
    My
    God!!!



    It is not that NT2 is bad, it is just that I got bored of doing the exact same stuff all over again. There was nothing new here. The movie lacks the heart, originality, and excitement of the first one. My 8-year-old son said in the car ride home that he was bored because he knew nothing bad would happen to the main characters. He said he wants to see a movie that does not have a "and everyone lived happily ever after" ending, which I thought was very astute of him.



    Hellen Mirren is wasted and does little more than fret and worry about Nic Cage getting hurt. The comic relief from Cage's nerdy assistant is mostly funny and provides some nice moments. Ed Harris is a confusing bad guy who is neither bad nor good and the resolution of his character really did not satisfy me at all (I'd like to discuss this with folks once some of the rest of you have seen the movie). It is also worth noting that Nic Cage's forehead has grown by about 8 inches since the last film and he looks really old.

    It may sound like I am trashing the film, and I don't mean to do that. It is not horrible and I bet some people will really enjoy it. I just felt "been there, done that" was the theme of the movie and I had hoped for something fresh and new.

    I must add that before the movie came on there was a Disney cartoon that aired. It starred Goofy and was the story of Goofy getting a new home theater system to watch football. It was hysterical and I laughed out loud at least a dozen times. I would gladly watch that cartoon again. I would not bother to watch NT2 again.



    -Jason "my advice for this weekend-- buy tickets to Charlie Wilson but get to the theater in time to sneak into NT2 in time to watch the 5 minute Goofy short and then go see Charlie Wilson" Evans

  2. #2
    Though I haven't seen the film, I have to admit I'm not really surprised by Jason's review. Sequels aren't always as good as the original. I am disappointed to read "Helen Mirren is wasted". I assumed (bad move on my part) that since she was in it the movie would have some credibility. Perhaps she didn't see the first NT.

    I will see this movie anyway, perhaps next week, perhaps when it's out on DVD. If I see it next week I'll respond to Jason's thoughts re the resolution to Ed Harris's character. That does have my interest piqued.

    Really bummed about Dame Helen.

  3. #3
    Wait wasn't the story behind Sahara nearly the same as National Treasure? Hadn't really thought about, but maybe one writer is churning out all this stuff?

  4. #4
    Darn, I was sure they were releasing this early for an Oscar nod.

    In other NT2 news, you too can come see where fictional things didn't happen in the movie at real life, actually historically significant places in Washington DC. The DC Tourism board has setup a marketing promo with NT2 to get fans of the movie to come to DC. Ugh.

  5. #5
    Sahara was based on a novel by Clive Cussler, which was published in 1992. Incidentally, the novel was an excellent bit of brain candy, despite resulting in a mediocre movie. The entire Dirk Pitt series is great beach material.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by Cavlaw View Post
    Sahara was based on a novel by Clive Cussler, which was published in 1992. Incidentally, the novel was an excellent bit of brain candy, despite resulting in a mediocre movie. The entire Dirk Pitt series is great beach material.
    Inca Gold is one of my favorites.

    I had hoped that Sahara would be a hit and lead to a series of Dirk Pitt movies, but when I watched it I knew that it would be a flop and I also realized that Dirk Pitt stories just don't translate that well to the big screen. Ahh well, some things are better left to books.

    Raise the Titanic was another Dirk Pitt/Clive Cussler tale brought to the big screen back in the early 1980s. It too translated poorly and flopped. Clive Cussler was so disgusted with it that he refused to allow any other Dirk Pitt tales to be sold to be movies. He finally relented with Sahara but he got so angry at how they were making that movie that he sued or something. I doubt he allows any more of his books to be made into films.



    --Jason "Raise the Titanic was one of the most expensive movies ever made back in the early 80s... and it was just terrible" Evans

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Watching carolina Go To HELL!

    Talking Two comments

    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    My 8-year-old son said in the car ride home that he was bored because he knew nothing bad would happen to the main characters. He said he wants to see a movie that does not have a "and everyone lived happily ever after" ending, which I thought was very astute of him.

    It is also worth noting that Nic Cage's forehead has grown by about 8 inches since the last film and he looks really old.
    "Little Jason (clap clap, clap clap clap) Little Jason (clap clap, clap clap clap)"

    Maybe Nic Cage is on steroids?!?
    Ozzie, your paradigm of optimism!

    Go To Hell carolina, Go To Hell!
    9F 9F 9F
    https://ecogreen.greentechaffiliate.com

  8. #8
    Going to see this tonight. Will post my thoughts tonight or tomorrow.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by TillyGalore View Post
    Going to see this tonight. Will post my thoughts tonight or tomorrow.
    Thanks, I'm interested in knowing if other share my "same as the first, and not nearly as good" view of the film.

    -Jason

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Greenville, SC
    Spoiler Warning. If you haven't read the movie stop here... On the other hand this is just one of many plot "questions" so it probably won't matter.

    I'm a bit confused. If Queen Victoria wanted to help the Confederacy find the gold why was one of the clues hidden in France, another in England and a third in the office of the Union president? Or was she just taunting them?

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Lexington, KY

    Wink Commercial for Steve Jobs

    Judging from your review, Jason, the images would seem to infer that Billybreen will enjoy the Mac/Apple advertising.

    Cheers,
    Lavabe

  12. #12
    I thought it was great! Full of action, on the edge of your seat sort of stuff. Okay, I would have thought all that had I not seen the first one.

    As Jason noted above it really was exactly the same plot just different locations and a few new characters thrown in.

    I have to say my favorite part was the exchange between Ben Gates and the President in the tunnel. Yeah, that was pretty cool. BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS ON PAGE 47!!!! Will have to wait for the sequel, which is delayed because of the writers strike. AAAARRRGGGGG!!!

    And what was up with Ed Harris's character! "I'm going to kill you. I'll die for you. I'm going to kill you. I'll die for you." I like a character that is honorable, I'm not sure if he really was though. Guess that's why I really like Ben Gates. He is flawed but he also always wants to do things for the right reasons, hence he's a terrible negotiator.

    I liked the movie and would have liked it even more had I not seen the original. Course if I hadn't seen the original I probably wouldn't have bothered with this one.

    I do have to share with my fellow Duke fans; in one shot leading up to the introduction of Ben's mother, Maryland's campus (or the movie version of it) is noted. I let out a very audible, "ugh". The friend I was with, knowing I can't stand Maryland, chuckled.

    If you've seen the original and are interested in seeing this one, wait for the DVD or until it comes to a premium cable channel near you. Wouldn't spend the $8.75 on it.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by camion View Post
    Spoiler Warning. If you haven't read the movie stop here... On the other hand this is just one of many plot "questions" so it probably won't matter.

    I'm a bit confused. If Queen Victoria wanted to help the Confederacy find the gold why was one of the clues hidden in France, another in England and a third in the office of the Union president? Or was she just taunting them?
    The clue that would have helped the Confederacy find the gold was on a page JWB's journal, which Great Grandpa Gates burned. The subsequent clues you noted were placed long after the Civil War ended.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Tilly and others--

    Was I right that the Goofy cartoon was awesome?

    --Jason "Goofy with a big screen... comedic genius" Evans

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Tilly and others--

    Was I right that the Goofy cartoon was awesome?

    --Jason "Goofy with a big screen... comedic genius" Evans
    I thought the ending was rather weak, otherwise, quite enjoyable.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Tilly and others--

    Was I right that the Goofy cartoon was awesome?

    --Jason "Goofy with a big screen... comedic genius" Evans
    Oh yeah, completely forgot. The cartoon was hilarious. I loved it!!!

  17. #17

    <o>

    Quote Originally Posted by TillyGalore View Post
    I have to say my favorite part was the exchange between Ben Gates and the President in the tunnel. Yeah, that was pretty cool. BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE HECK IS ON PAGE 47!!!! Will have to wait for the sequel, which is delayed because of the writers strike. AAAARRRGGGGG!!!
    On the television show Alias they spent five seasons trying to figure out exactly what was written on Page 47 and what it meant. It was never really explained sufficiently. Perhaps the President's Book has a page on Rambaldi?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Chapel Hill

    I have security clearance.

    I've seen page 47. It says 9F!!!!!!
    Love, Ima

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Ima Facultiwyfe View Post
    I've seen page 47. It says 9F!!!!!!
    Love, Ima
    Oh, that's great!!!!

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh

    Nt2

    Quote Originally Posted by Ima Facultiwyfe View Post
    I've seen page 47. It says 9F!!!!!!
    Love, Ima
    Does OZZIE know this?

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