National Treasure: Book of Secrets
I have a theory about these films. Like the first one, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, will not lose much in translation if you replace the thing that Nic Cage and his pa are looking for with “Hobo Gold.” Try it with the original: the map on the back of the declaration of independence shows us where to find… HOBO GOLD!
These movies are really about the search getting from one clue to the next. The Hobo Gold is like Hitchcock’s MacGuffin. It’s what’s needed to be found only because it ends the search and the movie.
The original was a really bad movie, but if you suspended belief in reality and went along for its ride, then you would’ve been stupefied into believing in… HOBO GOLD! The Declaration of Independence leads to the Liberty Bell which leads to Ben Franklin’s glasses and finally… HOBO GOLD! Genius of corniness. Dumb but somewhat satisfying. Like smarties: sweet but no nutritional value whatsover.
This version falls short of the joy ride that was the original. It has less chases and it takes the idea of the HOBO GOLD! too seriously. It should’ve been dumb and dumber chases and searches more so than the original. Yet, it was not. The clues were not that cool and the spy games not that interesting. Still this version was somewhat satisfying as the HOBO GOLD! was found, and the reality of Dianne Krueger, hottie, was realized.
3 of 5 stars.
One Reply to “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”
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I actually really enjoyed the first film. 98% of the movies out there have that outline where the plot is some sort of “gold” is a means to an end. It may not be “gold” in all films but it just so happened to be “gold” in that film. It’s to give the audience some scope to gage their time in the darkness. That’s why it’s a treat when you see films like Babel, Clockwork Orange, A New World, Lilya 4 Ever, Godfather, and Broken English. They’re movies about characters and nothing else. You know that it’s specifically about the growth of the characters without having to wrap some sort of plot around it all. It’s just characters from situation to situation. Up until the character just “gets” it. All other movies have that whole chase and mystery thing.
2001 had the monolith as it’s “gold”. Departed had Costello as it’s “gold”. But you couldn’t put Costello in as the monolith cause that would be just silly. But you could put in “Hobo Gold”. =) I guess it is true when they said there are only 3 stories ever told.
Well anyways, Diane should have made the Hotty list.
Director’s cut of Troy… boobage. Enough said.