Enjoy the cast and holiday season spirit

Rating: Null/10 (20 December 2007)

My IMDb comments on the first "National treasure" can just about be summed up as "fairy taleforgettable but enjoyable while you're at it". This sequel is more of the same.
As an addition to the new genre of puzzle-chasing, not-too-thrilling thriller, NT2 captures the holiday spirit with an injection of family sentiments, by involving now both Ben Gate's (Nicholas Cage) mom and dad, a long-estranged couple brought back together with one thing is common, their love for their dear little boy (to the extent that you can imagine Cage as one).
Same as the first one, this sequel is completely free of sex, violence and obscenity. There is one car chase with minimum shooting. There is the formulaic globe trotting of world-famous spots from Paris' own Statute of Liberty to Buckingham Palace, White House, Mt. Vernon to Mt. Rushmore. The key element this time, in the final analysis, is not treasure but family name. All these are really just to provide the ground for a very impressive cast to act smart, funny, coy, charming, lovable, or all of the above.
The way to enjoy this movie therefore is to love the cast. From the original we have Cage and that's that. Beautiful Diane Kruger is at her best when she flirts with the audience with her witty charm. Justin Bartha continues his role as IT wiz cum royal clown figure. We also have good old Jon Voight as Gate's somewhat eccentric father and Harvey Keitel playing the helpful FBI agent and friend.
A key addition, with the best of credentials, is Helen Mirren, playing Gate's mother, generating some good chemistry with Voight. Villain Sean Bean is now replaced by Ed Harris, looking mildly menacing and winding up as close as possible to becoming a good guy. And then we have the US President, played by who else but Bruce Greenwood. My top choice for the role.
Watch it, and enjoy the cast and holiday season spirit.