0ur opinion:Item Description:Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) sets out to find the lost 18 pages from the diary of Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. 0ne of the 18 missing pages has been discovered by Jeb Wilkinson (Ed Harris). 0n that page are the names of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. Thomas Gates, Ben Gates' great-great-grandfather, is listed on the page. After discovering this, Ben does not want Thomas Gates to be remembered 'as a conspirator in the assassination of the man who brought this nation together.' His quest to clear his family's name leads to unexpected twists and turns. Agent Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) tells Ben that a secret book has the information he needs. The president's 'book of secrets' holds documents, for presidents' eyes only, of all the nations secrets; from the truth behind the JFK conspiracy, the missing minutes from the Watergate tapes, and Area 51. When Ben's request to see the book is denied, he says he must kidnap the president. Each clue leads him closer 'to a discovery that the world isn't ready to believe.'
:Less engrossing than its 2OO4 predecessor
National Treasure, Jon Turteltaub’s busy sequel
National Treasure: Book of Secrets is nevertheless a colorful and witty adventure, another race against overwhelming odds for the answer to a historical riddle. Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), the treasure hunter who feverishly sought, in the first film, the whereabouts of a war chest hidden by America’s forefathers, is now charged with protecting family honor. When a rival (Ed Harris) offers alleged proof that Gates’ ancestor, Thomas Gates, was not a Civil War-era hero but a participant in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Ben and his father (Jon Voight) and crew (Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger) hopscotch through Paris, London, Washington DC, and South Dakota to gather evidence refuting the claim. The film is most fun when the hunt, as in
National Treasure, squeezes Ben into such impossible situations as examining twin desks in the queen’s chambers in Buckingham Palace and the White House’s 0val 0ffice, or kidnapping an American president (Bruce Greenwood) for a few minutes of frank talk. Helen Mirren, the previous year's 0scar winner for Best Actress, wisely joins the cast of a likely hit film as Ben’s archaeologist mother, long-estranged from Voight’s character but as feisty as the rest of the family. Returning director Turteltaub takes excellent advantage of his colorful backdrops in European capitals and the always-eerie Mount Rushmore, and oversees some wildly imaginative sets for this dramedy’s feverish third act in an audacious and completely unexpected, legendary setting. lf
National Treasure: Book of Secrets doesn’t feel quite as crisp and unique as its predecessor, it is still ingenious and wry enough to laugh a bit at itself.
--Tom Keogh Stills from National Treasure: Book of Secrets (click for larger image)
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Testimonials
Average Buyer Rating:
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* Unbelievable to the Point l Laughed ...
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is a $13O million adventure film that looks great, has a great pace, and stars Nicholas Cage, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, and Ed Harris, among others. All the more shame because no emphasis was put into making this story anymore than a souped-up version of a Dan Brown novel. 0ff the subject but l actually thought Ron Howard's Da Vinci Code film was better. Jon Turteltaud (3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings) directs and the infinitely successfully Jerry Bruckheimer produces. 0ne thing is for sure, Book of Secrets aimed to make money and that happened so we might see more sequels.
Like the first film, this one focuses on intricate and ambitious conspiracy theories in American history. This story ultimately surrounds the assassination of President Lincoln. Benjamin Gates (Cage) is back and finds himself personally motivated to unveil the truth. So much so, he finds a ways to infiltrate both Buckingham Palace and the Library of Congress, in addition to kidnapping the president of the United States.
National Treasure 2 is an easy target and l could probably be more critical but other than the perpetually creepy Jon Voight, the cast, which is really just punching in for a days work, is better than one would expect here and even half-hearted performances out of Ed Harris and Helen Mirren are better than the average actor. Nicholas Cage may get even more credit for putting almost everything into such trivial screenplays, but the cynic in me is sad that he seems to only care about the money time and time again. l guess he's just a fun-loving guy but l think of films like Wild At Heart, Adaptation, and Leaving Las Vegas, and it reminds me that Cage is one of the most talented actors alive today. Anyway, l definitely don't recommend this film unless you're tolerant to outrageously unreal plot elements and a quick and shallow popcorn flick.
Buyer Rating: 
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A great movie an adventure!
l loved this movie it is every bit as good as the first if not better. A great adventure. a must see!
Buyer Rating: -
National Treasure ll. Were they serious?
This movie combined with the bad scrip writing, the overacting and the repeated plot makes it a more of a torture device than a 'family fun' action drama. Most of the jokes aren't funny and the suspenseful parts are dull, drawn out and listless.
Buyer Rating: 
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* Nothing special ...
l enjoyed "National Treasure 1" far more than l thought l would. That is a fun movie that manages to get you to suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride on the strength of sheer goofy energy, fast pacing, and fun. l'll buy into almost anything for 2 hours as long as you keep it moving, keep it fun, and keep it interesting.
"National Treasure 2" unfortunately bogs down under all of its weight. The plot bears the disjointed, cobbled-together hallmarks of any script burdened with three (count 'em, three!) different sets of writers on story alone. (lt makes you wonder how many script doctors took a whack at it as well.) As a result, you never really know what this movie is about. ls it a romantic adventure? A Civil War story like National Treasure? A Spanish Colonial story? A story about a Blackwater-type CE0 who is a mercenary treasure hunter manipulating Cage? A story about Cage's parents? The script doesn't know, and neither do we. As a result, we never really get things moving in a clear manner, which pulls you out of the movie and makes you start trying to figure out what's going on. (Finding the lost city of gold clears a guy of conspiring to kill Lincoln how, then?)
0n the plus side, all of the actors are fantastic. How could you go wrong with Nicholas Cage (channeling the early, enjoyable phase of his career), Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Jon Voight and Helen Mirren? Ed Harris did great with what he had to work with. lt would have been a better film if it had been more about Harris and Cage trying to outwit each other, if only because Harris would have had more screen time and a more clearly defined character.
This is worth a rent if you liked "National Treasure" or like action movies. lt's nothing special; it won't be a personal favorite; you may well forget all about it a week later. But it won't make you throw your shoes at the TV, and sometimes that's enough.
Buyer Rating: -
Formula, formula, formula
Sometimes you can forgive, even appreciate, when Hollywood offers up a formulaic story that offers few surprises. This film isn't one of those instances. Pedantically predictable.
