National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Widescreen) Reviews

• Monumental Secrets

  
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2008-01-09
  Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):
  
  1. Civil War dirty secrets are brought to light and set alight
  2. Ben Gates' great-great grandfather gets bad name, but isn't completely clueless
  3. Ben Gates (Cage) follows cryptic clues to clear the family name.
  4. Clues actually lead to mighty big treasure, but that isn't the real prize, apparently.
  5. Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) goes to a lot of trouble to get Gates to show him the money
  6. Apparently, the money isn't the only issue in his case either
  7. Highly impossible but riveting treasure hunt crosses the pond and back
  8. Security personnel at Buckingham Palace are not amused
  9. Cameras installed for traffic offenses have excellent resolution and can actually come in handy for close-ups of small objects traveling at high speed
  10. The President of the United States will drop everything to do a little tunnel exploration with Nicholas Cage.
  11. Cage pulls Cheney too
  12. Occupants of the Oval Office sometimes write secrets in a little diary and then hide it
  13. You won't believe the places where people have been hiding stuff.
  14. Helen Mirren adds class to the cast. Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel add comic relief. Cage adds yet another bad hairdo.
  
  This movie has more exciting bits than the first (as far as I can remember), and can get the old adrenaline pumping. Fans of the Indiana Jones series will probably want to watch this, but will leave thinking that Harry Ford would have done a much better job in the lead role.
  
  The romantic (!) parts don't work at all, and you'll really have to suspend reality for this one, but there's still enough to rate it four stars.
  
  
  
  Amanda Richards, January 9, 2008
  
  
  

• 3.5 Stars for this unnecessary but fun sequel with an outstanding bonus "Goofy" cartoon

  
  By AZCDCO6KK2T81 on 2008-01-07
  The opening Goofy cartoon alone is worth the price of admission to this family friendly film. Like most sequels, this one is generally satisfying, but no match to its predecessor as it simply isn't as fresh or original.
  
  Amazon's review is solid in hitting all the plot points and general positive and negatives about this film; therefore, I'll dispense with covering much of that as this film is really for die hard Cage fans and for those that loved the first Treasure film. This one can't hold a candle to that one, but it does well enough on its own.
  
  The characters are all back and still fun, Riley is my favorite with lines like, "Oh, here come my tax dollars to arrest me," and the addition of Ben Gates' mom played by Helen Mirren, who is supposedly so mean she can freeze beer with just a stare, is an asset to any film she graces. Although Sean Bean was a far more interesting villain, Ed Harris, not new to playing a heavy (see A History of Violenceand Just Cause) is okay enough here. Diane Kruger returns as Cage's nearly ex-wife and is just as charming and alluring as she was in the first (I love that accent of hers). Of course, Jon Voight returns as Gates' dad and is hysterical in his scenes with Helen Mirren who always makes him feel like he's three years old. Naturally, this film would be nothing without Cage's engaging performance at Ben Gates, although I do think he's doing a bit more "going through the motions" with this outing (and we are threatened with a third at the end).
  
  The plot like the first one is unbelievable and filled with holes, but also like the first one, we are willing to suspend our disbelief to enjoy the ride the film provides. The chase scenes are exciting, but less believable than our first go-around. Come on, London is known for having the world's largest parking lot for streets. No one is car/bus chasing anyone through there! However, like I said, we are along for the ride here and we know it's all silly stuff, but it is enjoyable even if it is a bit of a letdown in comparison to the first National Treasure.
  
  

• Great action-adventure film PLUS a cartoon!

  
  By A3AVJCB1ZD6ZY5 on 2007-12-21
  Ben Gates is just not doing well at all:
  
  His girlfriend broke up with him
  He's living with his father
  
  and....
  
  Ben Gates' Great Grandfather, Thomas Gates, is just about to be nationally recognized as a hero when Mitch Wilkinson steps out and announces he has evidence that Thomas Gates was part of the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.
  
  In order to clear his ancestor's name, Ben, his sidekick Riley, and Ben's father start to investigate an order of Southern militants. What they discover was that Queen Victoria supported the Southerner's cause and she was attempting to help them find a treasure to finance the war.
  
  Naturally, there's a treasure involved--the famed City of Gold. In order to find this treasure, they must race against Mitch Wilkinson and kidnap the US President to get to the Presidential Book of Secrets, containing information about everything from the City of Gold to Area 51 and the Kennedy Assassination.
  
  Along the way, Ben's ex-girlfriend, Abigail, and Mom, Dr. Em Appleton, are added to the treasure hunting crew.
  
  In my opinion, "Book of Secrets" has exceeded the "National Treasure." The story's better, the ensemble cast is strongly refined, and both the jokes and action just keep coming. Everyone in the cast save for Ed Harris impressed me. I honestly wasn't sure whether Mitch Wilkinson was a mercenary or a misguided man trying to claim some fame for his own family.
  
  And yes--there appears to be a good chance we will see more of Ben Gates' adventuring. This one sanctioned by the President himself. I'm looking forward to Film 3.
  
  An added bonus was the Disney cartoon up front where Goofy gets a bigscreen TV. The story details an armchair quarterback's quest for the optimal viewing experience and how simple it is to set up a modern home theatre system. The jokes were so fast and furious I had tears in my eyes by the end and my stomach hurt from laughing. This cartoon is second only to my all-time favorite movie cartoon featuring the "Madagascar Penguins" that featured in front of "Wallace and Gromit--the Curse of the Were-Rabbit."
  
  
  
  

• Worldwide Treasure Hunt

  
  By A2F7CCPK4QL359 on 2008-08-11
  I love National Treasure (the first film). I like Nic Cage in the films Faceoff, The Rock and Con Air, this film sorta cemented in my mind as an action film star
  
  In this sequel, the search goes international. It starts interesting as Great Grandfather pf the Gates family (Cage and Jon Voight) is supposely linked to President Lincoln's murder. This leads the family on a hunt to prove the relatives innocents.
  
  Well this leads to an internation treasure hunt for clues. Followed by Mitch Wilkerson (Ed Harris), the family dogged around. Which leads to the President's book of secrets in the (where less) but the Library of Congress...to explain how cage's character gets there, I'd have to kill you
  
  This is Cage's film. The other character seem to evolve around him. Oscar winner Helen Mirren is wasted as Cage's mom.
  
  The real winner is the audience who is too quickly taken to Paris and then to London, but the travelodge is fun at best
  
  Justin Bartha is the great comic foil of this piece. His sidekick role to Cage's Ben Gates is legend. He is what makes this romp fun
  
  It isnt better than the original, but it is entertaining
  
  Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD
  
  

• a very good sequel

  
  By A3Q1JUXMSFGFB5 on 2008-05-27
  Nicholas Cage returns as Ben Gates in this excellent sequel. Like the first movie this one involves the search for treasure. This time its also to clear his family name as his great grandfather is named as one of the Lincoln assasination conspirators. THe action takes you all over the world in search for the lost city of gold that will clear his granfathers name. But ed harris is on his tale wanting the city for his own selfish needs . Ed HArris plays a great villan in the movie. Like the first movie you follow along with each clue and new turn. A good sequel that im sure will lead to a third
  
  
• What A Disney Disaster! Another Sterile Movie For The Masses!
  By A3DGVB3T5QJNRE on 2007-12-28
  There's so much wrong about this pitiful film I don't know where to start! As an adult, I found National Treasure: Book of Secrets the most boring movie I have seen on the big screen all year. I had to use every ounce of will power not to walk out of the theater and demand my money back!
  
  Before the movie even started, I was forced to sit through an infuriatingly dopey Disney cartoon, which was nothing more than a not-so-subtle commercial for expensive T.V. and stereo equipment. It went on and on and on. Finally I had to close my eyes in order not to get overly aggravated! Wow! How low Disney has sunk to make a buck.
  
  The story was written to the level of a 10 year old! There's close to nothing to entertain an adult. It's a blatant and poorly done rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
  
  I can deal with a story that's preposterous if it's enjoyable. But kidnapping the president by walking him through a tunnel. How exciting! Finding a Central or South American city hidden many thousands of miles away in the Badlands of South Dakota! Yikes!, how insulting to all the Plains Indian tribes can you get? Or, how dumb do you think the American movie going audience is? Can at least a modicum of reality seep into the story?
  
  The special affects are so trite! The props look so fake that I thought they were using an amusement park to film this movie. I was waiting for a water slide to show up at any moment!
  
  The acting was pitiful! Nicholas Cage had such a painful expression on his face throughout the movie I though he must either be embarrassed or ashamed of himself for stooping so low. I realize actors need to make a living. But he, of all people, can pick and choose his film projects.
  
  The only good thing I could think of is the scene with the President and a cameo of a Hillary Clinton look-alike at the President's birthday party. Since the Hillary cameo was having such a good time at the party, it can be assumed the Democrats won the 2008 election!
  
  
  
• "SECRET" IS A SILLY SEQUEL
  By A3H9JSM1SUTE4O on 2007-12-22
  It starts with a retro-looking Goofy cartoon that seems hand-drawn but probably is not. It's mildly funny.
  
  And then there's the movie "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." It is devoid of intelligence and wit and waaaaaaaay too long. But it was fun to examine Nicolas Cage's hair and guess what shots required DHP (digital hair plugs).
  
  It is amazing how movies like this get made. Oh wait, I know. The original was a surprise hit and made money. But it had a kernel of an idea and a plot that almost worked. The sequel looks like a clone of the original. But though the story regarding events of Lincoln's assassination starts out kind of interesting, the plot quickly evaporates in thin air. Poof. Next thing we know Nic Cage is on a mission to restore his family's honor. Sequences unfold devoid of any significance or tension. Just filler to kill time so it seems.
  
  The best thing in the movie is near the end. There's a two second close-up of a beautiful, freckle-faced young woman that's attracted to the Riley character. Whoever owns that face will be a star.
  
  If your are just looking for a place to get out of the rain or snow, then maybe two hours in a warm theater for about $9 is fair. But if you're looking for entertainment, it's robbery.
  
  
• Queen Helen gets caged, let's hope just this once
  By A3NH7PYU4AD5GA on 2008-01-04
  Once upon a time, a man called Cage was a substantial actor. Then he lost interest and started making movies like this one.
  Now Helen Mirren gets tricked somehow into the same level. Must be infective. But there is hope she did it just for fun and just once. Here she is Cage's Mum (does she deserve that?), she is announced as a ferocious hag and turns into the mildest of shrews.
  Ed Harris tries his version of the bad guy, but apparently he did not want to be entirely bad in the Christmas season, so he is hesitant about it.
  Have you ever seen a more non-sensical 'action' scene than the bus race in London? Or a sillier crime than the kidnapping of this President? Or an odder geographical stretch than an Eldorado in Mount Rushmore which was previously reported by a captive in Florida? (Maybe the Indian tribes at that time had their version of the United States, or at least a Free Trade Zone?)
  I was able to enjoy, within limits, number 1. But there are limits, after all. No number 3 for me, unless I get kidnapped.
  
  
• Fools' Gold
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2008-05-26
  (2.5 *'s) `National Treasure 2' is benign, yet slight, family entertainment. Continuing the treasure hunt (again with a decidedly patriotic thrust) Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) leads his globe trotting entourage to Paris, London`s Buckingham Palace, and even inside the most intimate desk drawers of the Oval Office. This time clues are sprinkled around the Western Hemisphere in Native American language, sending Ben and his sidekicks, Abigail (Diane Kruger) and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), to retrieve them and find the Lost City of Gold.
  
  While I liked the first 'National Treasure,' suspension of disbelief needs even more audience participation with this effort. (When Riley sets up a surveillance center from a bathroom stall in Buckingham Palace, well, you just have to decide to go along for the ride.) I found their first excursion preposterous, but I loved the characters and the caper. I still do, but this time the tension is diminished and the destination is even less to anticipate than its predecessor. And, while Ben Gates is no Jason Bourne, the movie has the necessary irreverence to poke fun of itself. ("I went to Buckingham Palace, and all I got was this old piece of wood.") They have to, after all, to gain some credibility.
  
  In this installment (the receipts do suggest another sequel) Ben must clear the name of an ancestor, Thomas Gates, who is linked by an artifact that implicates him with a scheme to obtain gold and help the confederacy win the Civil War. While reenacting Lincoln's assassination at the Ford Theater, a member of The Knights of the Southern Circle, confronts Thomas at a local tavern and forces him at gunpoint to decode a message aimed at getting a cache of valuable gold that would overthrow the Union's victory.
  
  Fast-forward to the present...and joining them on the trail are Ben's professorial father (Jon Voight) and his language expert mother (Helen Mirren). Instead of an anonymous front of security personnel, we get two greedy FBI agents (Ed Harris and Harvey Keitel) who follow our scholarly crew closely to get to the treasure first and make their claim for fame and fortune.
  
  `National Treasure 2' may be insubstantial, but it does offer some rewards. With a relaxing, no-brainer plot and an admirably uplifting, patriotic execution, the film won't inspire refunds, but it's not as hefty as 'The Bourne Ultimatum' or anything from the 'Indiana Jones' franchise. (I loved a London car chase scene even if I've seen most of the tricks before.) As a substandard adventure, the movie goes down easily, has some breezy irreverence, and sports a fine performance by Helen Mirren, whom I didn't even recognize with an American accent until the final credits. Sometimes this piece of fools' gold can be fun.
  
  My recommendation: Save this one for Flag Day, Independence Day, or one of those wet, rainy days or when you're too tired to think. (Happy Memorial Day!)
  
  
• A Fun Film for the Whole Family
  By A28OB1QLXN5BM6 on 2008-05-26
  National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets is a very enjoyable and fun romp, and an excellent follow-up to the original National Treasure. The entire cast has returned: Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates, Diane Kruger as Abigail, Jon Voight as Ben's father, and Justin Bartha as Riley. Added to the cast are Helen Mirren as Ben's mom, who, of course, holds the key to deciphering the map, and Ed Harris as the villain. Or is he? In the end, even he is redeemed.
  
  Book of Secrets is both action packed and full of fun. The team is on another treasure hunt, searching for the legendary "city of gold." This film has romance, adventure, wild chases, narrow escapes, unreal situations, and ridiculous coincidences. What it does NOT have is sex, drugs, violence, blood, gore, bad language, or crude humor. Yes, the plot is full of holes, but so what? This movie is entertaining, funny, and perfect for the entire family. Just suspend your disbelief and enjoy it.
  
  And yea! There are hints of a third adventure, one commissioned by POTUS. I, for one, cannot wait to see what is on page 47. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long.
  
  
  
• If you want to turn your brain off for a couple of hours, this film requires it.
  By AUHG8KSHI529U on 2008-06-24
  The only way to enjoy this movie is to treat it as a glitzy update to the 1930s silly adventure movies. The historical references make absolutely NO sense and the links to American history are dumber than idiotic, but here we are. I won't bother to list all the OBVIOUS historical errors because that would take pages of text. Just know that if you require plausibility in your silly adventure movies, you will be gravely disappointed in this farce.
  
  Nicolas Cage is back as Ben Gates and this time is set to the task of redeeming an ancestor's reputation who has been implicated in the conspiracy to kill Lincoln. They follow clues all over the world that leads them, finally, to the Black Hills of South Dakota and Mt. Rushmore. What happens there you will have to watch the movie to discover. I mean, if you want outrageously impossible setups for your movie climaxes, this one should take the cake.
  
  What is kind of irritating in the movie is that the Gates family, for all their intellectual abilities, has the emotional maturity of the Bickersons. Their petty differences seem contrived especially when they can come together so quickly and realize how much they do care about each other in a crisis.
  
  Still, if you want to turn your brain off, and I mean OFF, and watch a glitzy bunch of silliness, this fits that bill.
  
  Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
  
  
  
• Raiders of the Lost Book
  By A18G7GG53G2X8A on 2007-12-30
  Much like the film that preceded it, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" is both completely preposterous and a lot of fun at the same time. No, I never once believed what was going on; this movie is not about believability, but about pure entertainment, much like the "Indiana Jones" films or "The Da Vinci Code." And in the tradition of "The Da Vinci Code," this film is founded on the premise that hidden clues will lead to the truth. In this case, the quest for the truth is directly related to Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage): his family name is threatened when it's revealed that one of his ancestors--Thomas Gates--may have been the mastermind behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) claims to have proof of this: a piece of a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth.
  
  Both Ben and his father, Patrick (Jon Voight), refuse to believe this is true, and immediately vow to set the record straight. Ben first needs to get a look at Wilkinson's piece of paper, and to do that, he enlists the help of his partner, Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), and his ex-girlfriend, Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger). Numerous infrared scans show that the page contains a cipher, and when cracked, it's discovered that Thomas Gates was looking for a fabled ancient city, said to made entirely of gold. Finding this city would prove that Gates was in no way responsible for killing President Lincoln. How, I'm not entirely sure, but considering how cleverly the various clues are hidden, I have to admit that I didn't really care.
  
  As it turns out, the clues will take Ben, Abigail, Riley, and Patrick on an international journey, beginning in France with the original Statue of Liberty. There are also two special clues that function simultaneously, and while I won't say what they are, I will say that they're hidden in Buckingham Palace and the White House. I'll also say that one of the clues is missing; the only way to find it is by obtaining the legendary Book of Secrets, which has been passed down from President to President for over one hundred years. Not only does this book contain the information Ben is looking for, it also speaks the truth about the country's biggest mysteries, from Area 51 to the missing minutes of the Watergate tapes to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. According to FBI agent Sadusky (Harvey Keitel), the only way to ever see the book is to be elected President. Ben decides on the next best thing: he'll kidnap the current President (Bruce Greenwood) and convince him to reveal the book's location.
  
  Does this not sound like a fun movie? And it gets even better: hot on Ben's trail is Wilkinson, who--as you might have guessed--wants to stop Ben from finding the treasure. Its discovery would mean that Ben's ancestor was, in fact, innocent, and that would mean that Wilkinson's family history has been a lie. Using Patrick's bugged phone as a source of information, he listens to Ben's conversations and tries to gain the upper hand. Villains in such films are almost always this sneaky, which only makes us hate them that much more. And I have no doubt that this is exactly the way we're supposed to feel; both "National Treasure" films rely on a very clear Hero/Enemy formula, like all good adventure stories do. Simply put, we root for the good guys and hope that the bad guys fail. In essence, this movie is really no different than the Saturday afternoon serials of the 1940s and `50s.
  
  Topping everything off is Ben's mother, Emily Appleton (Helen Mirren), a History professor at the University of Maryland. She and Patrick have been divorced for over thirty years, and not once during that time have they spoken to each other. There's a reason for this: watching them together in the same room is enough to drive even the calmest, most patient person to the breaking point. When they reunite, they immediately bicker over the most insignificant things, like who should have placed their luggage in the cab on one of their old treasure hunting trips. But the main reason she's included is because Ben needs her help; one of the clues is covered with the symbols of an ancient language, and she is one of only a handful of people who can decipher them.
  
  The film culminates with a visit to Mount Rushmore, where something special has been in hiding for centuries. Most of the finale takes place in large caverns, into which water rushes in from large, temple-like openings. Unrealistic, I know, but hey, it's probably the most fitting conclusion for a film like this. It helps that a strong sense of humor runs all throughout, simply because this is a film that can't be taken seriously. The one character that's pure comedy relief is Riley, who always seems to get the short end of the stick. When he's introduced, he's at a bookstore, promoting his latest book on treasure hunting--not only do most people walk by without saying a word, some actually mistake him for Ben. There are also a fair number of humorous moments between Voight and Mirren, who make their characters likeable while still keeping that irritating edge. I know that "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"--or for that matter, its predecessor--will never be considered a great movie, but who cares? I had fun, and that's all that matters.
  
  
• Touchstone-Honed
  By A1JV4QKTEB7QBL on 2008-01-20
  Despite the fact that this 2007 sequel to the popular "National Treasure" boasts a fine cast of actors (Nicholas Cage, Jon Voight, personal favorite Ed Harris and the incomparable Helen Mirren,) "Book of Secrets" catapults into a fast but formulaic action with a little less than the high voltage adrenaline the initial film offered, repositioning famed treasure-hunter/historian Ben Franklin Gates (Cage) to face yet another widely publicized dis --- this time linking his equally cipher-solving obscure masters-of-trivia ancestors to the Lincoln assassination. Unfortunately, the direction in which "Book" heads detours a bit from the mixture of DaVinci Code cleverness and conspiracy theory weaving through a politically fueled labyrinth of arcane societies that I expected.
  
  Instead, Cage and Co. move at warp speed through each step of this adventure quest seeking the famed Cibola---City of Gold, gathering clues in a variety of eye-pleasing locations while connecting the dots with an ease that will make one's head spin and put the fastest number-crunching supercomputer to shame. The rather predictable climax, relying heavily on Speilberg's Indiana Jones success formula, replete with bickering, bantering adjuncts and couples and `look-what-you've-gotten-me-into-now' repartee wows the audience with the same unreal sensation achieved at the end of a Disneyland ride--think Pirates of the Caribbean when your amusement park shuttle boat lies in the shadow of the facsimile pirate ship and the whole audio-animatronic crew sings "(Yo Ho)A Pirate's Life for Me," while the gunpowder explodes and the backdrop shudders. In fact, this very feeling suggests what went wrong in this could-have-been fun more-adult film: an over reliance on Disney-fication--too much pyrotechnics over Sleeping Beauty castle: nuanced players under-utilized to depict banality, trite, yet s(n)appy dialogue that feigns intelligence, old tried-but-true attempts at humor that probably work well for the audience it attempted to capture--PG family far--and an underscoring of historical gravitas as depicted by Cage's deadpan expression and Bruce Greenwood's presidential suavity and emphasized by a soaring patriotic soundtrack.
  
  Bottom line? "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" delivers exactly what the marquee suggests: pleasant albeit familiar family fare with a slick Disney polishing that seems to jump about more like a video game than a film. Recommended as a fun enjoyment for families but not for the more serious minded conspiracy theory aficionado.
  Diana Faillace Von Behren
  "reneofc"
  
  
  
• National Treasure Book of Secrets Movie Review
  By A2MYUI8IT6UBUU on 2007-12-20
  Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer have dived yet again into their secret book to pull out a map that leads to treasures of vast fortune. No, not a legendary city of gold, but the riches that come from storming the box office. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is everything a big budget adventure sequel should be. A bigger story and better action help make Book of Secrets a surprising end of the year crowd pleaser.
  
  Setting out to clear his ancestor's name, Ben Gates is back in treasure-hunting action to unequivocally prove that his family had nothing to do with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With his usual cohorts Riley, Abigail and his father, Patrick Gates, the trio must race against the clock to stop a new enemy, Mitch Wilkinson, from uncovering an ancient treasure before they can, or forever risk the Gates name being associated with the death of one of America's greatest presidents.
  
  A hit for Nicholas Cage has been long overdue. Spanning nearly two full years making dud after dud, Cage is back and in good form, even if a sequel to the massively successful National Treasure was a safe no-brainer. Book of Secrets is just as outlandishly fun as its predecessor, one-upping the original by having the principle characters break into Buckingham Palace and even kidnap the President of the United States!
  
  Kudos have to be handed over to screenwriters Cormac and Marianne Wibberley for crafting such a big adventure, yet staying true to the themes that director John Turtletaub and company established with the first National Treasure. Even though their new adventure takes the entourage of talented character actor's across the globe, Book of Secrets manages to keep this treasure hunt a uniquely American tale. Just wait until you see where our government hid one of the most famed and sought after treasures of all time!
  
  Upping the production value from the last film, Book of Secrets is crammed packed with puzzles, car chases and exciting action sequences to help keep the film filled with riveting adventure from opening to closing frame. John Turtletaub has again done a great job of keeping the manic pace of the film frantic and fun, even if there are a few solitary moments when the picture starts to feel the weight of its lengthy running time.
  
  While the returning cast again does a stellar job continuing their characters, newcomers to the series Ed Harris and Hellen Mirren are welcomed additions to the story. While Harris is perfectly suited for the role, his character, Mitch Wilkinson, seems to be the only weak link to the story. Wilkinson seems like a very torn individual. One minute the dastardly villain is opening fire on our heroes, vowing to end their lives to get at the treasure, and the next he is helping them!
  
  Luckily the picture's best moments don't hinge on confrontations between Cage and Harris. The real fun of National Treasure has always been watching as the characters solve some of history's most challenging puzzles. Book of Secrets is assuredly no different, keeping audiences on their toes and tantalizing them with conspiracy theories that will likely continue the franchise forward.
  
  Between massive Pirate's plunder and uncovering buried National Treasure, 2007 aims to be a financially lucrative year for Disney's live action department. With surprises at every turn, Book of Secrets has established National Treasure as a viable and fun adventure franchise, making the film a must see holiday blockbuster that the whole family can enjoy.
  
  -Joe Russo
  
  
  
• A Treasure for the Whole Family
  By A3EY73HHN4PFYW on 2007-12-28
  The Book of Secrets closely follows the successful pattern of the first movie--adventurous, semi-historic treasure hunting. While some have criticized the movie from not being drastically different than the first offering, I did not view this as a problem. I'm not sure what the viewers with this particular criticism were expecting; I mean the movie is a sequel with the same characters, etc. In my mind you can't veer too far from the original premise or you won't have a logical sequel.
  
  National Treasure 2 was a logical and worthy sequel to the first movie. All of the main characters and respective actors/actresses you'd expect to see made an appearance along with a few new additions. The film brings plenty of new puzzles, historic sites (including a few outside of the United States this time around), and perilous adventure.
  
  How does the movie stack up to the original? If you enjoyed the first National Treasure then you'll like Book of Secrets. It is not as good as the first movie but it's awfully close. The only reason I say it is not as good as the first is because I had an idea of what to expect from the movie going in whereas with the first film everything (i.e., semi-historically based treasure hunting, characters, etc.) was completely new to me.
  
  Additionally, the movie manages to offer all of these things in a very family friendly manner. I do not recall any offensive language or overly explicit sexuality. The violence is kept to a minim with no blood or gore. However, as with most adventure movies there was some suspense and action violence though nothing of great concern. This movie really is a treasure for the entire family.
  
  
  
• A wild if implausible ride
  By AUTBHG6070SL4 on 2008-01-06
  Like its predecessor, NT2 carries the viewer along on a wild and far-fetched journey. Our bookish archaeologist (Nicolas Cage) penetrates one domain of national security after another, all with effortless ease - Mission Impossible, eat your heart out. The bad guy is there too, always one step behind and willing to stop at nothing. Our Hero finds the fabulous and unlikely treasure in the end, as expected, and the bad guy turns out not to be so bad after all.
  
  Motivations are a bit ethereal: both sides seek one of the greatest troves in history as a matter of family pride. Gates (Cage) wants to clear his family name of the slander that they conspired in Lincoln's assassination. Wilkinson (Ed Harris) wants his family name to go down in history as discoverer of the loot. Gates wants more though; he wants the archaeological knowledge to be brought to light for the good of all mankind, possibly including the answer to why Olmec inscriptions had anything to do with a trove in South Dakota. Those annoying heaps of gold really have nothing to do with either party's interest - ahem. Oh, and there are two generations of broken couples to be mended, in an utterly formulaic pair of rapprochements.
  
  NT2 offers everything your Saturday afternoon and your bucket of popcorn could hope for: adventure, treasure, bad guys, chaste romance, and over-the-top improbable entries into well-guarded enclaves. And sequel-bait. If you don't think about it too hard, it's huge fun.
  
  -- wiredweird
  
  
• no wide screen
  By A3D5S2VMDDCHWW on 2008-03-06
  I'd really like to buy this, but why only full screen. The collectors edition also says it is in full screen. I only buy movies in wide screen
  
  
• A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!
  By A2YFYDI669E9ZA on 2008-04-29
  Hey, if you are looking for a plot a fifth grader could write, combined with the hollow, monotone acting of Nicolas 'Lame' Cage, then this is the movie for you.
  I would file National Treasure (1&2) under movies you will have to watch over and over, in the afterlife...the kind of afterlife where a guy in a red suit with horns is heard constantly laughing in the projection room.
  
  
• Beware this disc from Disney
  By A27WSLVJ8WJF86 on 2008-05-19
  Two copies of National Treasure 2 would not play on Windows Media player 10 nor on my Cyberlink player on my computer that I watch nearly every movie on. The problem is copyright protection that Disney put on the disc which makes it incompatible with my system.
  
  
• National Treasure 2, a decent sequel
  By A1GHUN5HXMHZ89 on 2008-05-21
  Even though the story flow is not as good as the first movie, I can't imagine any fan of the first movie not enjoying it. The first thing people need to understand is this is a mix of some history with fiction. Looking at this as historical fact would be like saying what happened in "Young Indiana Jones" was all historical fact. Once again puzzles and clues must be deciphered to lead to a large treasure. All the while the family name is under attack, bad guys and the government are in hot pursuit, and clever means of outwitting them all is displayed. This is truly more of the same. The style is very similar and although the locations and some of the people are changed some of the time, it has a distinct feel of sameness which I personally found comforting. this time the story ties the Gates to the assasination of Lincoln, and a Native American treasure. The search for clues leads them to France, England, and even the White House. Fortunately they have a few friends that will make the difference including a familiar face at the FBI. The story was good, the cast great, and the directing, scenery, effects, and music above average. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoyed the first movie or fans of the Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider movies. Superb color and sound DVD with plenty of replayability.
  
  
• Great Fun on a Treasure Hunt....
  By A2TXR85WQLE32N on 2007-12-24
  2007's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" is a worthwhile sequel to the original "National Treasure". Like the first, it features Nicholas Cage as treasure-hunter Ben Gates, this time on the track of another fabled prize of antiquity: The Golden City of Cibola.
  
  The movie opens in April 1865, as the Civil War ends. A Confederate conspiracy calling itself the Knights of the Golden Circle approaches one Thomas Gates for the key to a coded message. While Gates is decoding the message, John Wilks Booth, a member of the Knights, assassinates President Abraham Lincoln. When Gates realizes who he is dealing with, he tries to destroy the coded message and is shot for his trouble by one of the Knights.
  
  Fast forward to the present: Ben Gates and his father Thomas Gates (reprised by Jon Voight) are presenting a lecture about their ancestor as a civilian hero of the Civil War when they are challenged by one Mitch Wilkerson (played with smooth menace by Ed Harris). Wilkerson claims to have proof that the Civil War-era Gates was a member of the plot to kill Lincoln, in the form of a missing page from Booth's dairy.
  
  Ben Gates and his father must prove their family's innocence. An examination of the missing diary page reveals a clue relating to the Lost City of Cibola, and the chase is on. Ben joins forces with his father, his computer-hacking buddy Riley (Justin Bartha), his archivist ex-girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger in a strong peformance), and his mother Emily (Helen Mirren in a great supporting role as a professor of native American languages). Together, they will follow a string of clues through Paris, London, Washington DC, Mount Vernon, and the Black Hills of South Dakota, closely pursued by Mitch Wilkerson and his band of thugs, and by the FBI. Along the way, Ben will figure out ways to break into Buckingham Palace and the White House, kidnap the President (Bruce Greenwood in a pitch perfect cameo), and ransack the President's Book of Secrets for the location of a long-hidden treasure chamber.
  
  The movie rockets along in a thrill ride from one exotic location to the next. Real pieces of history such as the twin desk set made from HMS Resolute are mashed together with bits of urban myth and historical trivia to create another fantastic treasure conspiracy. Ben and his friends solve one puzzle after another, typically under the time pressure of some crisis threatening life or liberty. The movie features some scenes of violence, such as a white-knuckle car chase in London, but the overall mood is distinctly tongue-in-cheek and worthy of its PG rating.
  
  This movie is highly recommended as a very entertaining, good old-fashioned thriller.
  
  
• Back to Fun!
  By AL5OEDM8TPTKV on 2007-12-22
  Let's get the first thing out of the way before I go into the review of this movie: it is a movie, a fiction movie designed purely for entertainment, and in no way, shape or form meant to be a serious look at anything historical. For those Lincoln's Assassination purists, this movie may just bring you to the edge of incredulity, and give you a migraine with the first five minutes. For the rest of the public, who just enjoys a fun, goofy action/adventure movie, this flick is for you.
  
  Picking up on the fun of the first movie, National Treasure, comes the sequel "Book of Secrets". Picking up a few years after the ending of the first film, we find anti-hero Benjamin Gates (Nicolas Cage) trying to clear his family's name after a nefarious con artist named Mitch Wilkinson (the underused Ed Harris) produces a missing page of the Booth diary that would suggest Gates' great-grandfather was responsible for putting together the plot to kill Lincoln. That sends Gates on a quest, needing the help once again of now shock author Riley Poole (the wonderful Justin Barrtha), and eventually his ex-whatever Abby (Diane Kruger). The plot and plan quickly takes them to Paris and then London, in search of a desk with hidden compartments, which in turn, leads them back to the good ol' USA and yet another search of fantastic caverns on American Soil.
  
  Joining the fun this time, along with Jon Voight reprising his role as Pat Gates, is the amazing Helen Mirren as Emily Appleton, Benjamin's long gone mother with steel in her veins. She's needed to interpret some interesting Indian symbols Ben finds on a piece of wood. Mirren takes to her role with aplomb, always a great actress, despite having several water scenes later on in the movie.
  
  The plot of "Book of Secrets" is a contrived jumble of puzzles and coincidences, but then, wasn't the first one? And wasn't that what we all loved about the first one to begin with? The gang of producers managed to capture the fun of the first movie without seemingly being too redundant. As you watch the movie, if you've seen the first one enough, you can mentally check off the "this is the part that matches what happened in the first." Does that detract from my sense of fun? No!
  
  Perhaps it's the acting (Justin and Helen are superb, and Ed Harris turns delightfully nasty in this one as well), or the action that make this just a fun time in the movies. Is any of it believable? Not in the slightest. But within the first five minutes, you must suspend your belief, and just enjoy the ride. Even when the president of the United States willingly goes on a quest with Ben Gates.... I groaned at that one.
  
  However, I did think this was a fun film, great for a break from reality, to spend it with people that are genuinely crazy, imperfect, but yet fun.
  
  
• A script would have been nice.
  By A1TU8F25KO6FHP on 2008-05-25
  I loved the fun and originality of the first one. This one lacks both. It would have been nice for something fresher than this sequel. Actually it's not even a sequel; it's the same story done again with a bad script. Too bad. Expectations were low but the film exceeded them. And where was the treasure? Certainly NOT in this film.
  
  
• Truly Horrible
  By A13D1WTFEMS9VH on 2008-05-28
  Simply preposterous. A complete waste of time. It made about as much sense as your average Scooby Doo cartoon. Not even the nice Blu-Ray presentation could redeem this cinematic turd.
  
  
• Umm ...Does Anyone Know How Finding The Treasure Would Clear The Gates Family Name?
  By A2ATWKOFJXRRR1 on 2008-07-06
  I admit that watching the first NATIONAL TREASURE movie was a guilty pleasure, but here ends my enjoyment of anything National or Treasure. Sequels are tough to pull off (can anyone say "Indiana Jones 4?") and one has to wonder why Hollywood continues to pump them out even when the script fails on almost every level ...and such was the case with National Treasure 2.
  
  If anyone can tell me how finding this new treasure helped solve the Gates family's problem related to their relatives' association with the Lincoln assassination, please let me know. Because that was what this film was all about, right? I mean, we start off with Thomas Gates (Joel Gretsch, The Legend of Bagger Vance) being approached by the men who set up President Lincoln's assassination, who in turn kill Thomas for refusing to give up the secrets to an ancient language in a document they have. We then move on to the current day where this document comes to the attention of the Gates family by the sinister Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) who presents his evidence that Thomas Gates was the mastermind behind Lincoln's death. So Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage, Ghost Rider), his father Patrick (Jon Voight, Transformers), Ben's estranged wife Abigail (Diane Kruger) and Ben's trusty friend and sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha, Failure to Launch) head out to clear the family name by finding the lost treasure of pre-America. But how, exactly, this will clean-up their family name isn't clear ...or even explained. A pretty big hole in the story's central plot.
  
  This plot hole combined with everything we've already seen in the previous NATIONAL TREASURE film makes this second installment tedious and full of non-surprises.
  
  The only positive spin the film can claim is Justin Bartha's Riley character who infuses almost all of the comedy by having a monopoly on the best lines ("Ben, if it were you trying to convince me, you'd have less evidence and I'd already believe you by now.").
  
  But that's it. Even the dastardly character Mitch Wilkinson (Harris) doesn't stay dastardly; only moments before he turns "good" he was holding a knife to Ben's mother's neck (Helen Mirren, The Queen), making his character completely unbelievable now. Gah!
  
  National Treasure 2 is a true disaster, with such poor characterization and plotting that it makes the entire film feel like it's laced with fool's gold with nary a piece of treasure in sight.
  
  
• The Da Vinci Code Lite
  By A3572FTYUQQW3P on 2007-12-29
  This movie would strain the credulity of almost anyone capable of critical thought. It has the obligatory car chase with the suitable amount of car crashes and destruction to appeal to those who equate the quality of the movie to the number of car smashes and special effects. Of course the police never get involved and the good guys always get away. What is truly amazing in the film is that all of the machinery, latches, and levers work on the first try hundreds or even thousands of years after being installed and left unused -- a real tribute to ancient technology. Nicolas Cage is amazing in his ability to solve clues and ciphers with just a glance. This movie is cross between Indiana Jones Meets the Olmecs and a Symbologist Redeems the Family Tree -- it's a fairy tale with almost no effort to achieve a semblance of reality. Having pointed out the many flaws in this movie I would like to say that Jon Voigt does a very good job as does the actress who played his wife. The side kick Riley has the best lines in the movie and does a very good job as the comedy relief. I enjoyed the film and gave it three stars because it is fun with a bang-up ending. If you can overlook the ridiculous parts -- and there are many -- it is fun and exciting, but I don't think Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones franchise is in any danger.
  
  
• Olmec Treasure Map - Treasure Hunt the word Olmec
  By A5WMBIOGE8Q6N on 2008-01-01
  Wilkinson forces the search for the city of Gold. Wilkinson provided security in Iraq, black market trades, and involved in the underworld. Mitch Wilkinson presents evidence suggesting that Thomas Gates master minded the assassination of President Lincoln and offers the evidence to academia and the public media.
  
  Ben must find the city of Gold proving his grandfather's innocence. Wilkinson confesses, at a future time, that he planned to force Ben into the hunt for the city of Gold. Wilkinson wanted to create a legacy for his family, as the family that discovered the city of Gold. In the end, Wilkinson sacrifices his life to save the group at the water gate; however, Ben credits both the Gates and Wilkinson families for finding the city of Gold. So it seems Wilkinson plan worked. Ben discovery of the treasure of the city of Gold becomes the ownership of the US. Ben initial statement was the treasure would be returned to the descendants of the Olmecs.
  
  Just after the civil war, John Wilkes Booth, the Abraham Lincoln assassin , a member of the KCG approached Thomas Gates to decode an encrypted message. Thomas Gates realizes that Booth is looking for the Olmec City of Gold called Cibola, a coveted Confederate prize. Booth leaves for the theatre to shoot Lincoln. Gates calls confederate man watching him at gunpoint a traitor and is shot, but not before Gates throws the message into the fire of which most is burnt. Wilkinson reveals in a letter that Queen Victoria was supportive of the confederate cause making the civil war seem like a continuation of the revolutionary war.
  
  Wilkinson notes says, "The debt that all men pay", death. Using the codes Riley decodes the name Edouard Laboulaye lady. One of three, but only one called lady. Edouard Laboulaye provides the clue on the Statue of Liberty in Paris and lends Ben to search for the two resolute desks, one in Buckingham palace and the other in the oval office. The plate on the statue is decode by Ben to mean the resolute desks.
  
  Who is MG? How did MG get the Olmec map? The MG connection suggests that Olmec Civilizations capable of language, pyramids, calendars, metal workmanship, and religion. The city of Gold seems to connect with the Egyptian technology. The Olmec inhabitants of the city of Gold could have buried the city to safeguard it against pillage from warring neighbors, a center for religious worship, as wars emerged and the invasion became eminent.
  
  Gold was plentiful: The discovers have the wonderment of Cortez, after they realized the immense wealth available as the natives mistook him for a returning white God; Ben finds no natives to greet him only their deadly stone door that seals them in.
  
  The fact the treasure map is Olmec and not Toltec or Aztec or Mayan suggests a particular interest in advanced civilization migration. The Olmecs myth includes a story about traveling over a ocean to the Americas. The Olmecs also include a incredible story of the Great White God's visit teaching them to be kind to the wives and children, transmission of architectural sciences, education of medicine, and the mathematics of time.
  
  The fact that Ben's mother could read the glyphs suggests the Olmec language had a common derivative known in the eastern world or the University had decoding other similar gylphs that were known. The real treasure was the discovery of the Olmec civilization, their language, and religion, and their wars.
  
  MG built the two desks and each desks has four drawers that open to numeric notches that open a hidden drawer. Each desk has a part of an Olmec treasure map. President Hayes discovers the Olmec map and photographs it and puts in a Book of Secrets which every president preserves the secret. Ben steals the Olmec map from Buckingham palace. Ben discovers the Olmec maps is not in the desk in the oval office. Riley Poole helps Ben realize the clue could be in the Book of secrets marked by a Eagles with arrows and a scroll. Ben arranges the President's birthday to be held on Mount Veron and presidents the president with a gift of the blue prints for Mount Veron and a secret passage. The President wants to explore the secret passage. The president does not seem to know where the treasure exists. However, the President discloses the Book of Secret location, book number, security combination key, and page 47. Ben, Riley, and Abigail find the clue. Ben's mother decodes the map and sends a message to Ben using the code word "humming bird".
  
  Wilkinson provides the clues to find the eagle in the rock and Ben unlatches the lock that opens a passage way to the city of Gold. The group gets locked into the passage way. The group is separated into two groups as a trap door captures Abgail, Ben, Riley, and Mitch. Patrick and wife eventual swing their way into treasure and the other group counter weights each other one at a time out of a sure death. The water gate provide escape for all but Mitch. Mitch drowns and the rest of the group walks out of the cave.
  
  
  
• One clue leads to another clue, which leads to yawwwwnnn...
  By A3JM7ZRLXC18UC on 2008-01-12
  While not the greatest film ever,National Treasure (Widescreen Edition) had a few good things going for it. It was a feel good adventure film that lacked bloodshed, profanity, or sexuality of any kind. I am against censoring these things from films, but I respect the feelings of fellow moviegoers who enjoy milder entertainment. It also had a patriotic, but not jingoistic, hero who was willing to risk spending the rest of his life in a federal prison to see that the ultimate good was served. Which is a breath of fresh air from all of these "stylish" antiheroes who when viewed from a moral standpoint, are little if any better than the villains.
  
  Other than trying to scare up a few box office dollars, I can think of no other reason why this sequel was made. It suffers from the same problem as 99% of all sequels because it recycles rather than continues the story of the preceding film. It follows the same formula as its predecessor - one clue leads to another clue, which leads to... rinse and repeat. The only things different are superficial details and the addition of Benjamin's mother to the fray. There is just nothing here that contains even a molecule of originality.
  
  Adding to that, it is as ridiculously predictable as a broken clock being correct twice a day. You've seen this all before whether it be the strained relationship between Ben's parents or how Ben gets himself into trouble with the FBI - and how both problems are resolved. It really makes me wonder if they were going for a sequel or a rewrite of the first movie.
  
  What is really depressing about this film is that when it is compared to the recent cinematic trends (needless remakes, Eli Roth torture films, potty humor comedies, and Americanized J-horror), it's actually not a bad movie. Then again, looking good by default doesn't make something good in fact. This is not the worst movie ever made. Far from it. It just has a long way to go before it can be called good.
  
  
• Book of Secrets
  By A2Y4GU8FISOZ0C on 2008-02-23
  This has to be one of the worst sequels I have had the mis-fortune to sit through at the cinema.
  
  A complete milk on the first film with a complete lack of any other original ideas, it should have gone directly to DVD and then we could pick it up in the bargain basement items.
  
  
• Better than the original
  By A30TK6U7DNS82R on 2008-04-15
  Our kids were never good at history and were this-close to flunking out of the top private schools that we had found them places in. History was like poison to them. For right or wrong their generation doesn't believe in anything that took place before, say, French situationalism. Ask them about the Beatles, they'll look absolutely blankly at you. When the headmaster called me four years ago, threatening to dropkick my oldest son Brandon right out of school if his history grades did not improve, I was at the door of despair. Then happily Nicolas Cage saved the day by releasing NATIONAL TREASURE part one, and my kids got hooked on history. They don't know who Nicolas Cage is, in fact I don't think they believe he is an actor, they think he is Ben Gates the "history guy."
  
  They also like his father, played by Jon Voight, and now they have a new hero, Helen Mirren's Egyptologist character who proves just as brave and plucky as her son and estranged husband.
  
  Before Part Two I had no idea that there was an actual Book of Secrets that all American Presidents are forced to read and hide! But I have since been assured that all of it is true.
  
  It is funny that Hollywood producers, who would as we all know sell out their own grandmothers, have now made two pictures in a row in which "family honor" is the prime motivating factor. Not only do the Gates family feel stung when it is "proven" that their ancestor helped assassinate Lincoln, but Ed Harris is similarly suffering from the disgrace of bad blood. It's not exactly convincing, and the actors don't really play it out very well, but hey, it got my kids interested in Lincoln and in Dr, Samuel Mudd, the man after whom, as Nicolas Cage explains, we got the common expression, "His Name Is Mudd." Long ago, director John Ford shot the excellent biopic "The Prisoner of Shark Island" about this very same case, and my kids seem to love it. They have recently asked me if they could become members of the American Cinematheque and get seasons tickets to the Cinematheque's current program of screening every one of John Ford's films.
  
  I liked seeing Jon Voight and Helen Mirren play off of each other like the Nick and Nora of history. In actuality, both Voight and Mirren had something in common, each had made a seminal film with the British auteur John Boorman, DELIVERANCE for Voight and EXCALIBUR for Mirren. Something of Boorman's shadowy, erratic glow hovers over all the Voight-Mirren sequences in the film, far outclassing the Cage-Kruger affair, for which I did not care a whit, though Brandon has recently left Princeton to try to track down Diane Kruger and ask her about how to become a topnotch expert in forensics analysis, as he believes her to be. Finally, the real-life Book of Secrets, now owned by President Bush, tells the whole story about Area 51 and how Eisenhower was brought there in a secret plane and shook hands and played cards with two dying aliens before they died, and other stories we thought were tall tales were true, just like the legendary city of gold under Mount Rushmore.
  
  

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