According to this MovieTickets.com poll, Nicolas Cage’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the third-most anticipated film scheduled for release in the next 12 months, behind Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Christian Bale’s The Dark Knight. I realize the first National Treasure grossed $173 million domestically, and that I never bothered to see it — you know I have a problem with bad man-hair in movies. But I did read those reviews, and I did see the trailer for this sequel (pictured). Please, someone explain to me what I’m missing. ‘Cause right now, my only guess is that people are just curious to see what in the world Helen Mirren is doing in this thing.
The breakdown of top five films by gender is even more distressing: While the men put National Treasure fourth (behind Indy, The Dark Knight, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man), women actually ranked it second (behind Indy but before The Dark Knight). Ladies, talk to me.
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It’s all Justin Bartha for me. But I love the first one and I think this one will be just as much fun.
Maybe it’s like Snakes on a Plane. That’s the only conclusion I can come to after that steaming pile of crap of a trailer that I saw.
I think one of the reasons it’s so anticipated is because, if it’s like the first one, it’s a movie parents can take their kids to. My kids loved the first one and I thought it was harmless fun, so we’ll see this, too. Although I’m pretty sure I’ll also take them to see Indiana Jones – maybe Indy’s not so anticipated because it’s been so long since the last one came out (I think it was before I even got married, let alone had the kidlets), that it’s not on your average kid/tween’s radar.
It’s HIM (Nicholas Cage), he’s just gross, while Harrison is sexy (and so is Shia) and Christian is just, well, just lucious!!!!
Mmm, good.
How can it be 4th for men and 2nd for women, but 1st for both? The doesn’t make any sense.
But I think the high ranking has more to do with seeing the trailer a bunch of times already.
Read the article more closely. It says “National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the third-most anticipated” movie. Jeez…
I dont really care for Nick Cage, and put off seeing National Treasure, but my boyfriend made me watch it one day, and it was good! It was fast paced, clever, kind of like how everyone wanted the DaVinci Code movie to be after the book was so exciting. Its worth watching before you complain so much about people being excited for the sequel.
I have to agree that it’s because the first movie was just a lot of fun. It’s an adventure and who doesn’t like an adventure?
The fact that the first was a PG movie that offered action for everyone in the family was kind of an anomoly. I remember one of my parents’ friends saying they were so happy that “our kids’ generation now have an Indiana Jones” when it came out. That made me want to cry but, niche-filling-wise, I see her point.
There are women who are more excited about seeing Nic and his hairpiece than they are about seeing Bale in a tight Batsuit? Heresy!
I’m a woman and I enjoyed it as well. Not a Nick Cage fan, but the movie was good despite him. The history was cool, the sidekick was awesome, and it was non-stop action.
Great family film
Also not a big Nicholas Cage fan, and I fought my family about seeing the first one. But once I saw it, I thought it was really good and I do look forward to seeing the second, though I will probably wait for video.
Mandi, I completely agree, BUT — Lots of times women don’t actually say what they want to see, they say what their kids and other halves want to see. What they know they’re actually going to sit through. I love English costume dramas (if Jane Austin is mentioned, even better), but the most anticipated movies in my household are the ones listed. Some of us, get used to talking for everyone else, not just ourselves. You can rail against it as much as you want, but my 6 year old would be first in line for Shark Boy and Lava Girl II.
You’re an idiot if you choose National Treasure II over the Indy movie & Batman
Sorry, I’m a (femaile) comic book fan and I want to see Dark Knight and Iron Man, mostly because they have the 3 Gs: Good writing, good acting and good directing.
1. The Dark Knight
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Dark Knight
4. Indy 4
What the hell? The first National Treasure was passable at best. America is dying.
As an archivist, National Treasure made me ill. However, as a former archaeologist, I love Indiana Jones movies. National Treasure was full of “action,” but it was still painfully boring. Plus, Nicolas Cage is just gross. He might have been kinda cute 15 years ago, but now…ugh. Harrison Ford is an old drunk, but he still has that smile…sigh. And Christian Bale…swoon!
Aside from the brilliant Adaptation, Nic Cage hasn’t made a good movie since… Face Off?
As for the poll, I’m guessing name recognition or stupidity.
Hmmm…I would have ranked “The Dark Knight” first, but then again I have been in love with Christian Bale since I was 8 years old and first saw him in “Empire of the Sun.” Plus, Batman is by far my favorite comic book hero and Bale is the first actor to effectively capture both Bruce Wayne and Batman as two conflicting sides of one character. Plus he’s hot.
As for “National Treasure,” I have to go with what a lot of other people have said. I’m not a Nicholas Cage fan and skipped this when it was in theaters because of that. Then my boyfriend finally made me sit down and watch it I loved it. But I’m a history nerd so I was really just getting drunk off of the fact that Disney managed to make history fun. Plus, Justin Bartha is just so adorkable. Gotta love action nerds! So anyway, I am kinda curious about “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” but I have a feeling it won’t be as good as the first. So I wouldn’t rank this one as “highly anticipated.”
Trying to decipher the tastes of the Des Moines Iowa crowd is as impossible as trying to read ancient Sumerian or something, its inexplicable. Hence Arrested Development getting canceled but According To Jim staying on the air for something like 37 seasons or something.
I’m ashamed to say that I actually paid to see National Treasure. There was not one believable scene in that movie. I hated every second of it and you couldn’t pay me enough money to sit through a sequel.
What a bunch of snobs many of you are! And Mandi, this is the second time I’ve had to scold you for not being able to see how a mom might view the world differently from you (the first time being Julia’s baby blues in Brothers & Sisters). I love me some Bale and Downey Jr and Ford, but I also love the history and fun and adventure of National Treasure, especially as I’m watching with my kids.
Lighten up, everyone!
The last time I checked I’m female. My ranking is very different and not based on what my friends, loved ones or imaginary boyfriend wants to see.
1. American Gangster (Denzel just needs to stop acting like we are not meant to be)
2. Dark Knight (Christian Bale, ’nuff said)
3. Indy 4
4. Elizabeth – The Golden Age
5. Walk Hard and Atonement
Wait, you never saw it and you’re complaining that people want to see the sequel? Seriously, you should at least be required to watch the first one before you write a blurb bashing those that want to see the sequel.
The first one was a fine popcorn flick, and it didn’t pretend to be anything more than that. It didn’t take itself too seriously, and came out at a time that everyone was reading Da Vinci Code. It combined a bit of history and action together much better than the DVC movie did. While I’m much more excited for DK, Indy, and Ironman than I am for this, I will definitely go see this one.
Here’s the attraction Mandi — it’s like DaVinci Code for Dummies: even more action and simpler nuggets to digest. And by the way Mandi, if you have an aversion to “bad man-hair”, you will NEVER get to watch another Nic Cage movie. Or Ben Affleck. Or Tom Hanks. Or Brendan Fraser. Or any of the other “I’m wearing a hair-piece that looks like a receding hairline to hide the fact that it’s already gone” actors.
Allright, I’m a librarian, lite sci-fi fan, and a girl. I saw the first one because I borrowed it from my brother so I didn’t have to pay and mostly cause it had Sean Bean in it. I love me some Sharpe. It’s now one of my guilty, stop-and-watch-when-I’m-channel-surfing pleasures. Since the trailer spilled out the plot anyway, I see no reason to see it in the theatres. I’ll probably get it from Netflix though. So yeah… probably #2 movie since I hate Batman and there’s not a whole lot out next summer.
In defense of Nic Cage, he does make some horrible movies (Wickerman, Ghost Rider). But he also did Weatherman (Great!!!, seriousy watch it) Matchstick Men (Really Good) and Lord of War (Pretty good) in recent years.
Sorry, Mandi, can’t help you. I crush hard on Sean Bean and love action/adventure/fantasy-type stuff enough to let an awful lot of discontinuity and wackiness wash over me (kinda love both Tomb Raider movies, for example), and I still wouldn’t see this on a bet. My parents rented the first one on a family beach trip a couple of summers ago, and I thought it was an incoherent mess. The stuff that was kinda cool made no sense, and the stuff that made sense was just silly. I was shocked they even made a sequel; that it’s this highly anticipated makes me kinda sad.
I kinda liked the first though I dont get why Nic Cage gets so much money. He isn’t very charismatic. Use Keanue Reeves instead…na0w scrap that…um I dont know…Ladies?