Please don't make National Treasure 3

Last night I bit the bullet and rented National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. I really enjoyed the first movie and owned the DVD, but hesitation kept me from actually watching the second one during its theatrical run due to fear of suckage.

This fear was totally justified. The movie was often painful to watch, and you could see the whole thing coming from a mile away. The fact that by the end you knew they had to win because they had the entire U.S. government on their side really made the conclusion fall apart, and like the "falling down the staircase under Trinity Church" scene from the first movie, the "stuck on the platform that keeps tilting" and "trapped in the water filled cavern" scenes were mostly just boring "action" filler where you weren't entirely sure what you were looking at. The problem is that in this movie, that boring action filler scene is the climax of the film!

The worst thing is that the "page 47" thing just sets up a third movie, and you know in this one the bad guys are going to be this Mitch guy (who seems to have survived from the 3 second scene showing him holding his breath and diving) and Sean Bean's Ian Howe from the first movie, who join forces somehow to take on Gates and the President. Laaame.

Oh, by the way, the proceeding review contained spoilers and should not have been read by anyone who wishes to see the plot of the film. Whoever you are.