Could have been better---Spoiler alert

Rating: 5/10 (30 December 2007)

The first "National Treasure" was niftily geeky and proud of it. Baker Street meets Pennsylvania Avenue. The sleuthing and puzzle-cracking was like a daydream you might have had in history class. This new movie unfortunately doesn't quite capture the hook thrill of the zippy chase. The London car chase was shabbily staged (the implausibilities were glaring). Helen Mirren as Ben's mom could have been as much fun as Sean Connery as Indiana Jones's dad, but we get a three-decade-old luggage tiff to introduce her.... Couldn't they have made her a fusty eccentric or a glamorous cougar or something? The Lost City of Gold had the feel of a Disney theme park attraction. And Nicolas Cage is much less unpredictable and inspired than in the past. (Check out "Vampire's Kiss".) The best part of the movie was the whole kidnapping of the President scene with that terrific actor Bruce Greenwood. And those gorgeous interior shots of the Library of Congress made this bibliophile's heart race. Diane Kruger is loveliest and funniest in the Oval Office scene. Next time out, give her more a share of the subterfuges, and bring back Greenwood's President for a story revolving around page 47.