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Created May 24, 2008 07:03PM PST • Edited Dec 03, 2010 11:53PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   Cheerfully entertaining hokum once again, this time with better supporting players, makes for a very charming popcorn movie. The addition of two greats – Helen Mirren as the feisty and brilliant mother, and Ed Harris as The Villain – to the solid existing cast makes most every scene fun and interesting. Coupled with the series’ trademark historical hocus-pocus, the now all-star cast elevates this sequel to treasured status.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   All-star cast showing why they are stars: the inimitable Helen Mirren radiates fierce intelligence, spunk and sexiness, plus she generates more than a bit of feisty fun playing off Jon Voight’s absent minded professor; Ed Harris, an all-time-great movie actor, delivers one of his trademark performances, manly and smart; Bruce Greenwood, perfectly cast as The President of the United States; Harvey Keitel, reprising his supporting role as the FBI agent stuck on Nic Cage’s tail.

   Then the originals: Nic Cage, in what has become one of his signature roles; the lovely Diane Kruger as his partner in life’s adventures; and Justin Bartha as the nerd sidekick who can’t get the time of day from women, as unbelievable as “The Book of Secrets” itself given that he’s movie star handsome and now drives a Ferrari.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

    Like the original, glossy production values, light-on-its-feet dialogue, and state-of-the-art derring-do make this a great Hollywood-type film. This well crafted sequel both builds on the original story, yet stands on its own two feet, meaning there is no need to have seen National Treasure 1 to enjoy 2.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Great 4.0

13. Music OK 2.5

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.3

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Fierce 1.6

19. Rudeness Polite 1.2

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.7

    The movie employs fascinating historical touchstones, e.g. the fact that there is a sister Statue of Liberty in Paris. Nonetheless, as in the original farcical inventions abound, from the Book of Secrets itself to the lost City of Gold, all great fun.

22. Circumstantial Supernatural 3.4

23. Biological Glib 1.7

24. Physical Surreal 3.0