National Treasure: Book of Secrets
2-Disc Collector’s Edition
Directed by Jon Turteltaub
Starring Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren
Walt Disney Video
Release Date: May 20, 2008

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is back for a new treasure hunt. Even though his previous find has brought him fame and wealth, his relationship with Abigail (Diane Kruger) has suffered, and he now lives with his father (Jon Voight) who, ironically enough, is now close with his son after the events of the first film. Gates’ treasure-hunting buddy Riley (Justin Bartha) has found himself unable to make a name for himself and that the luxury taxes in the United States can be as much of a pain as they are on the Monopoly board. But when a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth seems to imply that one of Gates’ ancestors may have been involved with the Lincoln assassination, Gates sets out on another hunt to clear his name, which just happens to involve finding an ancient city made of pure gold.

Interestingly enough, the mystery at the heart of the plot predates the United States and requires a lot of searching outside the country. Though the acknowledgement of Native Americans in the country’s culture is a nice spin on the treasure hunt, it seems like a bit of a token gesture. The book which the film in titled after also barely gets more than 3 minutes of screen time and a half-hearted glance from the main characters. This wouldn’t seem like such a big deal if Riley wasn’t setup to be a character so obsessed with secrets. To find proof of one’s theories and then just as easily let it go without a second glance seems phony. Then again, we are talking about a Disney movie about treasure, aren’t we? I guess we’re expected to keep out eyes on the prize just like the characters do.

Nevertheless, National Treasure Book of Secrets can be a fun popcorn movie as long as you don’t take it too seriously. The violence is low-key (no blood, no deaths shown on screen), the humor is family-safe, and who doesn’t like trying to solve a good riddle? If you found the first film enjoyable, there’s little chance you won’t enjoy the second. Same goes if you hated the original, because it is essentially more of the same.

Where the film differs the most from the original is perhaps its greatest weakness, however. The first time around, we saw Gates race against a former partner whose only desire was wealth and fame, were as Gates himself was looking for a great cultural find. This time around, we have a new character whose motivations and morals are a bit convoluted. Unfortunately, Ed Harris, who has shown himself to take on some diverse and deep roles, is given the role of a caricature of a villain. Mitch Wilkinson’s personal drive to be a legendary treasure hunter like Gates has him jump back and forth from villain to ally in a comically unbelievable fashion. Likewise, the speed at which the other characters are willing to forgive and forget his past transgressions is absurd. Hey, sorry about shooting at you repeatedly and trying to kill you on multiple occasions. Oh, no problem, let’s go treasure hunting.

Disney is par for the course naturally, using the sequel to set up a third movie at the half-way point. Hopefully next time, Harvey Keitel will have more screen time.

The two-disc collector’s edition features a plethora of special features, but for the most part they fall into the category of generic production features that you’d only find interesting if you really like the movie. Blooper reels, stunt reels, deleted scenes, the making of”¦ you know the routine. However, if you’re really into history and politics you may enjoy the features on the Library of Congress and the Knights of the Golden Circle. The reality behind both of them can be more interesting than the fiction in this movie.

Here’s a list of bonus features:

“¢ Audio Commentary
“¢ Deleted Scenes
“¢ The Treasure Reel
“¢ Secrets of a Sequel
“¢ The Book of Secrets: On Location
“¢ Street Stunts: Creating the London Chase
“¢ Inside the Library of Congress
“¢ Underground Action
“¢ Cover Story: Crafting the Presidents’ Book
“¢ Evolution of a Golden City
“¢ Knights of the Golden Circle
“¢ Easter Eggs