Short review: Not as good or inventive as the first, but still very good. It kept on reminding you of the first movie, and how much fun that all was the first time around, which reduces your enjoyment. Still a good movie. I'm glad I went to see it. However, if they are going to do NT III, they better come up with some new material
If somebody had seen the sequel without ever seeing the first movie, they would probably enjoy it much more.
I agree with your assessment. It is good, but the first one was better. I think that NT-TBOS was a setup for a third movie.
In the next sequel, Cage's dad Jon Voigt will be implicated in the assassination of JFK and Cage will have to find out where Joe Kennedy Sr.'s bootleg stash is buried AND clear his dad by proving Woody Harrelson's father and Howard Hunt were on the grassy knoll in Dallas.