National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
From AwardAnnals
| Film: | National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets |
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| Director: | Jon Turteltaub |
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| Distributor: | Walt Disney Video |
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Reviews
Amazon.com
Less engrossing than its 2004 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 Oval Office, or kidnapping an American president (Bruce Greenwood) for a few minutes of frank talk. Helen Mirren, the previous year’s Oscar 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. If 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
Related works
Ever since he was a boy Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) has been obsessed with finding a treasure few dare to believe exists—the legendary Knights Templar Treasure. As Gates tries to find and decipher ancient riddles that will lead him to the greatest treasure known to man he’s dogged by a ruthless enemy who wants it for himself. Now in a race against time Gates must steal one of America’s most sacred and guarded documents—the Declaration of Independence—or let it and a key clue to the mystery fall into dangerous hands. Heart-pounding chases close calls and the FBI turn Gates’ quest into a high-stakes crime caper and the most exciting treasure hunt you’ve ever experienced.
