National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Jon Turteltaub

Writers (WGA):

Marianne Wibberley (screenplay) &
Cormac Wibberley (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary.

Plot Keywords:

Gate | Book | Diary | Gold | Conspiracy

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Ben Gates
Justin Bartha	...	Riley Poole
Diane Kruger	...	Abigail Chase
Jon Voight	...	Patrick Gates
Helen Mirren	...	Emily Appleton
Ed Harris	...	Mitch Wilkinson
Harvey Keitel	...	Sadusky
Bruce Greenwood	...	The President
Ty Burrell	...	Connor
Michael Maize	...	Daniel
Timothy V. Murphy	...	Seth
Alicia Coppola	...	FBI Agent Spellman
Armando Riesco	...	FBI Agent Hendricks
Albert Hall	...	Dr. Nichols
Joel Gretsch	...	Thomas Gates

Also Known As:

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (South Africa: English title) (DVD box title) (USA) (DVD box title)
National Treasure 2 (Australia)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some violence and action.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Australia:PG | Taiwan:PG-12 | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:PG | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG (certificate #43985) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:Atp | Germany:12 | Brazil:10 | South Africa:10M | South Africa:10V | Peru:PT | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:12 | Denmark:11 | Canada:G (Québec) | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

When showing the map of the grounds to the President, Ben tells him it belonged to a slave of Washington's named Charlotte. This is the same name as in the clue to the Templar treasure that Charles Carroll gave to Gates' ancestor (and which turned out to be the name of a ship). Presumably Mt. Vernon was one of many dead ends which Ben pursued in his search for Charlotte and the Templar treasure prior to the events of the first movie, which would explain why he knew about the hidden compartment and how it worked, or it might just be a sly reference to the first movie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The pin the Knights of the Golden Circle member wears features the head of what looks suspiciously like the Statue of Liberty, which makes sense, given the film's plot, but, in actuality, the Knights of the Golden Circle did not use a woman as one of its symbols.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Barkeep: He's in the other room.

Movie Connections:

References "Sledge Hammer!" (1986)

Soundtrack:

Better Class of Losers

Fun and Entertaining

Safe fun entertainment where people don't get killed, just cars and so forth. The thrills and chills are little less potent, the jokes a bit too cute, and Ed Harris' character is a little ambiguous by the end as if Harris is getting a little tired of the stereotype he has played in movie after movie. There is some drama, though perhaps not enough and the funny comedy doesn't always seem to balance the adventure aspect. Overall, though the movie was enjoyable, fun, a thrill ride if not completely transporting into the Indiana Jones realm. Boring it was not, but a bit manipulative, not as edgy, not as dramatic as it could have been. A nice way to keep the Christmas winter blues away in the end. Seven out of Ten Stars.