A scene from "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"

'National Treasure: Book of Secrets" is just like the film that spawned it: silly, over-the-top and sure to make about a gazillion bucks.

"National Treasure" gave us Nicolas Cage, smart guy (the glasses are a dead giveaway), in the role of Benjamin Franklin Gates. In that film he had to steal the Declaration of Independence because, according to family lore, it held a clue that would lead to the riches of the Knights Templars. Check.

In this film he has to figure out whether a recently found missing page from John Wilkes Booth's secret diary is genuine. If it is, it casts a horrible light on his entire family.

Yep, that's right. Once again, it's personal. It's also warmed-over mishmash, with Gates' dad, Patrick (Jon Voight), again on hand, though he's not much help because he's too upset by the revelations in the diary. Also back are Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase, Ben Gates' would-be girlfriend; Harvey Keitel as an FBI agent; and, best of all, Justin Bartha as Riley Poole, Gates' wisecracking goofball assistant. Same stuff, different movie.

This time the money-grubbing bad guy is played by Ed Harris. And someone talked the great Helen Mirren into playing Emily Appleton, Ben's mother.

Maybe producer Jerry Bruckheimer backed up a dump truck filled with cash to her driveway. That's a scene that wouldn't be out of place in the movie, come to think of it.

Look, let's not kid anyone here. This franchise is all about dumb fun.

And if there's more emphasis on the dumb part of the equation than the fun, it's not likely to stop audiences from flocking to the film. It's too loud not to be noticed.

Gates travels the globe, breaking into Buckingham Palace as well as the Oval Office (note that the movie is called "National Treasure," not "National Security"); commits a crime so preposterous you have to admire the movie, after a fashion, for even trying it; and winds up with a climactic action sequence that also serves as a dopey family reunion somewhere underneath Mount Rushmore.

Along the way Gates drops a few historical nuggets on the audience. Best of the bunch: The Queen's not in Buckingham Palace because its flag isn't flying. Good knowledge.

As for the actual plot, well, good luck with that. After seeing the movie it's still not clear just what was supposed to be going on, what was proved true, what wasn't.

Not that it matters. To say that the journey is the reward is probably giving "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" too much credit.

But it's definitely true that whatever fun the film contains is found in the getting there.

Bill Goodykoontz / Gannett News Service