Writer: Marianne Wibberley, Cormac Wibberley
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel,
Rating: PG
Studio: Disney
Release Date: May 20, 2008

After seeing the first National Treasure I could not wait to see the second installment of this awesome historical action flick. Along the same grain of Indiana Jones, but with distinct differences, National Treasure stars Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates. The Gates family is known for being crazy treasure hunters. In the first film, Gates steals the Declaration of Independence because of a clue that should be on the back of the document. This sets the pace for these films.

Things move quickly and revolve around historical events and what might not be known about them. While this is fiction, many conspiracy theorists will begin to wonder how much fiction is really involved here. Of course, that is not the point of the movie. The point is entertainment and it is well provided in the original and the sequel.

Of course, with the hint of any sequel there needs to be some thoughtful consideration. Let’s face it. Most sequels are born from a studio’s need to make additional money. They are not created because there are more stories to be told. One of the main reasons I was worried about this movie was that originally there were no plans for a sequel. However, when executives noticed the earnings, it was probably inevitable. Apparently this action flick has its redeeming qualities though because this second installment ended up out-grossing the first film in less than five weeks. I suppose every now and then a sequel is done for the right reasons and it shows throughout the movie. This is one of those rare sequels.

Release Information:
While the comparison of Indiana Jones and National Treasure may be upsetting to some, the reason it was brought up was because the movies are similar enough to point out. It’s obvious that National Treasure uses Jones as an inspiration. Whether Treasure succeeds or not generally depends on the moviegoer. Either way, there is a mass of fans that love these films. Now that this movie has been shown worldwide in theaters, it is time to hit the DVD shelves.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets was released on DVD through Disney Home Video on May 20, 2008. You should not have any problem finding this in stores, but if you want to buy it online you can find the National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets (Two-Disc Collector’s Edition) for $22.99 or the standard Book of Secrets for $14.99. The collector’s edition is also available at Walmart for $22.87or FYE for $24.99

The National Treasure: Book of Secrets Plot
National Treasure 2 is one of those movies that you either love or hate. Actually, the whole series is that way. Fans tend to love it and a lot of critics tend to scoff and stick their noses up at it. However, if you’re not expecting the next significant genius of Hollywood, you should fare pretty well when it comes to this movie. It is not the next Gone with the Wind, but it’s a good movie and it’s something that parents and older children can watch together and both have a chance to enjoy. The movie is an action flick though there are few, if any bloody scenes. It’s more of a race to the finish, with more on the line than a fighting kind of movie.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is the genius that solved the mystery of the Knights Templar treasure with the help of new girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger) (who he picked up when trying to steal the Declaration of Independence), Riley (Justin Bartha), and eventually his father (Jon Voight). Things were looking good for the gang of treasure hunters. Riley was on his way to fame, Ben and Abigail had love, and Ben and his dad were working on their relationship. However, in movies such as this, things never stay too good for long. Riley soon realizes that the treasure hunting crowd won’t take him seriously and Abigail and Ben are having enough problems to see that Ben has to move in with his father.

None of these petty things matter (as much) when Ben learns that a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth inadvertently links one of Ben’s great-great relatives to Lincoln’s assassination. In order to clear the Gates name, Ben sets out on another mystery that leads him around the world to such places as Mount Rushmore, Buckingham Palace, Mount Vernon, Paris, and numerous other spots. They even discover an ancient city of Gold.

The history in this mystery dates back before the United States was a thought in anyone’s mind. One thing I found odd was that the book of secrets did not get a whole lot of play. Now I might not have paid much attention to this, but not even Riley seemed too enthralled with it. This is entirely odd because Riley is obsessed with treasure hunting and secrets. It seems like he and this book would have been fast friends. However, the goal here is to keep looking for that ever elusive piece of victory, and in this case, it means that the book is secondary, if important at all.

This movie changes some from the first, especially in terms of the villain that Gates is competing against. In the previous movie the villain was Ben’s former partner who was not particularly interested in hurting anyone. He was just out for money and fame. This time around the villain is Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris). I like Ed Harris, but he’s capable of so much more than this erratic role that he plays here. One minute he is evil and the next minute he wants to be friends. What is even stranger is that the main characters seem to think that he is worth believing so they continually fall for his tricks.

The acting is decent, but the fact that they set up an option (or hole, as it might be viewed) to ensure that a third movie could be made was rather undesirable. There is no word on whether or not they plan to make the movie, and I am sure if they do it will have its appealing moments. However, knowing how over-commercialized the franchise is becoming is less attractive than what I thought of the first film.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
The video quality for National Treasure 2 comes out looking fabulous. I didn’t find much to complain about in this transfer. The aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and the anamorphic widescreen are handled well. There is little or no compression artifacts, no fuzz, and the colors are bright, beautiful, and verdant. Overall, it wouldn’t hurt to see all transfers this way.

The audio for Book of Secrets offers much of the same as the video. Dolby Digital 5.1 is offered and does its job well. Audio is provided in English, Spanish, and French. In addition to standard audio, subtitles are offered in every language that has audio. The dynamic nature of the sound effects came through loud and clear on my television. No volume changes were necessary as things were steady throughout. I couldn’t have asked for better audio.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Loyal fans of this series will absolutely love the special features on this two-disc set. If you like the movie, but do not care about special features, it is highly recommended that you just pick up the regular movie and avoid the collector’s edition. Fans will enjoy the bulk of the features here because most of them are location features or they explain about how the film was made in one manner or another.

These features include “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,” “Secrets of a Sequel,“ “Evolution of a Golden City,” and “Knights of the Golden Circle.”

The rest of the special features are pretty standard. You can enjoy a commentary with Jon Turteltaub and Jon Voight, some deleted scenes (including intros from the director), some bloopers, and some outtakes. None of these are bad, but you have to be a fan to be interested enough to watch the majority of them. For most, watching the movie will suffice and the need for special features will be nil.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is a family friendly movie that is worth watching if you’re not expecting the next great masterpiece. The film is good and the acting is excellent, but it still comes short of its first, and better, attempt at entertainment. The best part is the acting, but the story isn’t bad if you can ignore the subtle writing abnormalities that find their way into the script. If you liked the first you will definitely want to check this out, whether it means renting or buying it. If you didn’t like the first, it’s quite possible that you will hate this one, so don’t bother wasting any money at all.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Movie, DVD Review, Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Turtletaub, Jon Voight, Book of Secrets, National Treasure 2, Treasure Hunters, Disney

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