National Treasure: Book of Secrets film review

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NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS

After 25 years at the top of the Hollywood tree - his first role was in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Nicolas Cage is finally appearing in his first sequel. What's surprising is not his choice of project, but the fact that he has waited so long to appear in one. The first National Treasure took $350m at the world's box office and was a charming action comedy and now the same creative team have reunited for the follow-up.

But the magic is missing this time around. The fresh and lively nature of the original has been replaced by a somewhat formulaic and by-the-numbers script which sees lashings of money thrown at the screen - but the law of diminishing returns is very much in evidence. This time around bigger is not better.

Cage reprises his role as Ben Gates, a sort of Indiana Jones clone who specialises in finding the booty of the title. His girlfriend, assistant and father are all also back, variously played by Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha and Jon Voight. Joining them as his estranged mother is Helen Mirren, no doubt trading on her current hot status in order to boost her retirement fund.

The team gets involved in some shenanigans to do with the assassination of Lincoln and an ancient ruined golden city, although the plot plays second fiddle to the set pieces. For example Ed Harris pops in and out and sees to alternate between a good guy and a baddie.

But it's the action sequences that matter most, taking place in France, London and all over the US. I was reminded of last year's Fantastic Four sequel, which also placed expensive foreign locations above credibility or real intrigue. With a London-based car chase that sees to come straight out of the video game The Getaway and a finale that looks like a Lara Croft adventure, even the originality of these pricey moments is in question. There are also plenty of Da Vinci Code-style references thrown in for good measure.

Nevertheless this is critic-proof stuff and it has already taken a huge amount at the US box office. No doubt it will commercially eclipse the original and we can all look forward to an inevitable threequel in a few years' time.

Paul Hurley