National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

This movie is the sequel of "National Treasure" and is just another movie about insane conspiracy theories based on false historical premises. This time, everything revolves around Cibola, a variation of the South American myth of El Dorado. Out of curiosity, there is no pre-Columbian ruin in North America with some minimal similarity to the one showed in the film, at least as far as I know. What it portrays is clearly influenced by ruins lefted by the Mayans, Aztecs or Incas, who lived in more southern latitudes. That, and the crazy theory around the Resolute desks, is enough to make the plot absolutely indigestible for anyone with a minimum of historical knowledge. The cast includes many actors from the first film, with Nicholas Cage and Diane Kruger leading the way and keeping the flaws and virtues shown earlier, like the lack of depth and personality of their characters and some very enjoyable comical vein. Ed Harris was effective in the role of villain and managed to counteract the lack of depth of the other characters. The film still has good visual and special effects, although scenarios are sometimes a bit disappointing or unrealistic.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) it is unfairly criticized and trashed by critics and fans of the first film. My honest opinion is: this is the last good Nicolas Cage movie he has done, before he start making direct to video trash movies. Nicolas Cage returns with his famous character Ben Franklin Gates. I forgot to mentioned in the first film review Nicolas reunited with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for the fifth time in the row producing this film. The first film with Nicolas Cage was The Rock (1996) on which the actor and producer worked together. I disagree with people saying this was unnecessary sequel, it is a good sequel and I love this film, but I don't love it that much as I love the first movie! The first movie is the best one of the two, Nicolas Cage also reunites with Ed Harris from The Rock (1996). Ed Harris plays again another villain and I must say for my honest opinion Ed Harris is way better villain than Sean Bean is in the first film. I was really surprised how much fun I had with this film, you also do have a lot's of action and car chases. We have returning cast from the first movie: Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel and Armando Riesco.Plot: Benjamin Gates must follow a clue left in John Wilkes Booth's diary to prove his ancestor's innocence in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.I don't know what is the problem with this film I think it is a good film and I really like the character development, but still is not better than the first film. The first film is still way better than this one. This film is about clearing Ben Gates ancestor's name and innocence that he wasn't co conspirator in assassination of US president Abraham Lincoln and that he was set up, before he died and was killed. It references on Abraham Lincoln US president that was assassinated and it is again a history film. This film doesn't evolves around museums like was in the first movie but it evolves about a book that leads to a clues.I love National Treasure 2. It's funny, gripping and informative. This film is the American history in the plot story, which is surprisingly accurate. Its nice to see a film that shows respect to it's story and doesn't reinvent it and destroy it completely. Its also nice to see a sequel that hasn't been rushed. I absolutely enjoyed this film on Blu-ray. I bought this film together on Blu-ray with the first film and I have absolutely enjoy it and I had fun with it. Con Air, The Rock and National Treasure 1 and 2 are my favorite Nicolas Cage movies and are favorite of mine that I can watch them over and over again and they aren't that violent like are Face/Off, Left Behind, Windtalkers films I seriously hate that movies that Nicolas Cage was involved!Things I do like in the film: the end when Ed Harris sacrifice him self to save all the people trapped in a cave. Nicolas Cage clearing his ancestor's name and for the discovery of a secret also gives a credit to Ed Harris. In the caves you have a lot of booby traps. Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger's character development was excellent specially their fight in the museum. Helen Mirren is also cast as Ben Gates mom a professor on the university that Jon Voight's character don't get along with it, but on the end of the film, they both show their feelings and that they are still in love. Showing our beloved heroes in a caves was fantastic, Ben Gates kidnapping American President in a secret passage so that president tells him the secret clue hiding in library's book was brilliant. This film is brilliant and excellent so I don't get the hate for this film! Helen Mirren as Ben Gates mom was excellent in her role, she also played in Red 1 and 2 and Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999) I mostly know her from those movies. Everything in this movie is excellent, special effects and mostly the characters are wonderful that I love.The director Jon Turteltaub did an amazing job on this movie! It is just as exciting as the first one, but is a whole new story, and a whole new adventure to go on. Trevor Rabin reprise the score theme from the first movie which is solid.Overall: I love Natural Treasure 2 it is Nicolas Cage last good movie he done and my favorite of the actor, the rating is A+ 9/10 a good sequel but not that great as the first one, but still a fun watchable flick.National Treasure: Book of Secrets (released on home video as National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets) is a 2007 mystery adventure film directed by Jon Turteltaub and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It is a sequel to the 2004 film National Treasure and is the second part of the National Treasure franchise.9/10 Grade: A+ Studio: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Bruce Greenwood, Helen Mirren, Armando Riesco, Alicia Coppola, Albert Hall Director: Jon Turteltaub Producers: Jon Turteltaub, Jerry Bruckheimer Screenplay: Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberleyer Story by Gregory Poirier, Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley, Terry Rossio, Ted Elliott Rated: PG Running Time: 2 Hr. 04 Mins. Budget: $130.000.000 Box Office: $457,364,600

This movie is great. The story is very refined, so I felt down to it. This film has many factor- suspense, action, a bad guy, and so on. It is like Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones is full of action scene, but there are many demystification scene in National Treasure. The hero and his company goes to find treasure for his ancestral clearing of name. They solves a code one by one, and I was excited in the moment when those points and points are in one line.Anyway the hero is well-informed. He leads his friends to the answer and get over the dangerous with his knowledge.Everything in this movie is well thought off.Actually this film make you think and maybe even come to the conclusion that history is not bored. This movie is one that you can never get disappointed. If you have not seen it, you should so by all means. This is my recommendation

Gates family history is Patrick Gates (Jon Voight)'s grandfather Charles' recollection of the night of Lincoln's assassination. Charles's father Thomas was given a book to decipher. It turned out to be Booth's diary and the man was actually a member of Knights of the Golden Circle. KGC were confederate saboteurs working in the north. The diary had a clue to a treasure that the confederates want. Thomas threw the pages into the fire and was killed for it. The confederate spy was able to retrieve a part of a page. Thomas Gates was always a hero in the story until now when Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) shows up with the missing page. Mitch is a antiquities soldier of fortune and wants the treasure. His ancestor was a confederate general. The missing page has Thomas Gates' name along with the other conspirators. Everybody now believes that Thomas was a Booth co-conspirator and Ben (Nicolas Cage) has to clear his family name with the help of Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), ex-girlfriend Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), and even his mother Emily Appleton (Helen Mirren) who can't stand his father.The gang is reunited. The bickering couple chemistry is funny and good. The group has a lot of fun. The movie seems to be trying very hard to be cutesy fun. The addition of Helen Mirren added surprisingly little. Ed Harris is a little too scary and mean. He seems capable of killing anyone. They travel around the world in a wild chase for treasure. It's one big monument after another. It just turns very repetitive as they find clues in a series of over-the-top capers. About halfway into the movie, it gets way too ridiculous even for a National Treasure movie. I could still let this movie get a pass, but the final crazy City of Gold really sank this one. When they got on the ridiculous tippy top table, I couldn't wait for this to end.