Premise With Promise...But...

Rating: 5/10 (24 December 2007)

We attended the first show, opening day in our small home town theater (Movies on the Parkway in Sevierville, TN), to a nearly sold out show.
This adventure is not as fun this time around. The clues are less entrenched in symbology , lending less story, and more room for comical relief. That was a mistake, in my opinion; one which may prove to hurt it in the long run. Considering, however, how dismally the Golden Compass has fared, xmas movie goers are hungry for a good fantasy/actioner to sink their collective teeth into.
Hopefully, some of those disappointed fans who brave the rains and windy wet cold to see NT2 will also give the Golden Compass a try, while they're at it. NT2 contains the same base formula as NT1, but this time it is far m ore watered down, with much less clues and less real action, but more development of the interpersonal relationships between Ben Gates (Nic Cage) and his parents (Helen Mirren and Jon Voight) and his lady. We also get a deeper look into the personal life (or lack thereof) of Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), Gates' Partner.
Undoubtedly, due to a lessening of action and effects accompanying the deepening of character development and an almost total lack of substance, many will not think highly of this work. I, however, found it entertaining. Not as entertaining as the first, but it was still an enjoyable venture.
Cage seems more comfortable in this incarnation of the character, without contributing a dialed-in performance. His comfort conveys an on-screen presence; a great charisma above and beyond the usual, and that's saying something.
The premise has promise, but is not explored to its potential enough to flesh out the screenplay to actually give it a story. Unfortunately, this attempt fell far short in comparison to the rich story detail of the first. It left us wondering if there will be a third, for we are hoping for a return to a real adventure with a well-developed story as the first installment led us to expect.
All in all? It's fun, but lacks the quality of the previous chapter. Here's hoping the 47th Page leads us back to a GOOD adventure.
It rates a 5.2/10 from...
the Fiend :.