Equal parts sub-‘Indiana Jones’ hokum and ‘Da Vinci Code’ clue-solving, 2004’s ‘National Treasure’ was so anodyne, it’s hard to believe this Bruckheimer-budgeted sequel/rerun is upon us. In the meantime, Nicolas Cage seems to have aged by ten years, and his acting style’s crankier than ever, all arbitrary outbursts and receding hairline.
Mind you, he’s dealing with a plot so bonkers it’s very existence is an affront to reason, as the quest to clear his family name combines with the search for a secret city of gold – treasure so secret that clues to its whereabouts are dotted from Paris to London and several US states. As villainous Ed Harris and his over-ripe Deep South accent take up the chase, Helen Mirren’s a welcome addition as Cage’s no-nonsense archaeologist mum, but the cast remain helpless in the face of the script’s contrivances. It’s so daft you can’t help the odd smile, but enough is clearly enough.