National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel
Director: Jon Turteltaub
The film: The first instalment in the National Treasure franchise took the world by surprise. The critics said no one should bother, but they were wrong: the public in the end found about 350 million reasons to like it (in US dollars, no less).
And it was pure popcorn, coming flush with a wildly improbable plot premise (a treasure map hidden on the back of the US Declaration of Independence), Nicolas Cage hamming it up like there's no tomorrow and a support cast crammed with cliches.
After counting all that cash there was only one way the studio was ever going to go: towards a sequel. The incredible thing, though, was that they seemed to be the only ones excited by the idea. It's unlikely you'll ever see a more lethargic bunch of actors, or a less inspired or keenly directed production.
The main players return and this time around the story follows claims that a relative of Cage's character might have had something to do with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the hiding of, yes, another treasure. John Voight plays his dad, who looks like he couldn't care less, Diane Kruger (above, with Cage) is the love interest who has (wisely) tried to move on, and Justin Bartha is the wisecracking sidekick who has outstayed his welcome and simply become annoying.