Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #632 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-06-02
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Less engrossing than its 2004 predecessor National Treasure, Jon Turteltaub’s busy sequel National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is nevertheless a colourful 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 honour. 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 2: 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

DVD Description
Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) sets out to find the lost 18 pages from the diary of Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth. One of the 18 missing pages has been discovered by Jeb Wilkinson (Ed Harris) which contains the names of the assassination conspirators. After discovering his grandfather’s name is on the missing page, Ben sets out to clear his family's name on an adventure that leads to the President's "Book Of Secrets" and a secret the world isn’t ready to believe.

Special Features
Audio Commentary Join Director Jon Turteltaub and Actor Jon Voight (Patrick Gates) for this feature commentary.

Customer Reviews

Fast-paced fun for Indiana Jones / Lara Croft / Da Vinci fans
National Treasure 2 is an unusual sequel in that it out-performs the first film. It follows the same format of a globe-trotting treasure hunt with Nic Cage as the slightly daffy professor on the track of an historic mystery. However, NT2 positively gallops along from one clue to the next, dashing from the USA to Paris to London and back again -- just in time to burgle the two most well-protected buildings on the planet and then kidnap (!) the President.
NT2 isn't a serious film but it does have a very serious cast and an edge-of-the-seat director. So Cage is well supported by the likes of Harvey Keitel, Jon Voigt and Ed Harris (who plays the bad guy. Well, sort of. You'll see!). NT2 probably takes huge liberties with actual fact and historical events but it is tightly plotted and extremely enjoyable. Bad guys always drive (indestructible) Range Rovers, and James Bond ain't the only man to wear a dinner suit under a wetsuit.

The continuity is spotty in places, and Cage is guilty of mumbling some of what should be snappy one-liners. But we (two reasonably intelligent adults) enjoyed it from beginning to end and it's perfect entertainment for a mixed audience. NT2 isn't as outright silly as the final Lara Croft film, nor is it as pompous and slowly-paced as the Da Vince Code. It's a tense adventure romp, and it's set a pretty high standard for the Indiana Jones comeback...
8/10

Decent family entertainment
I like this sort of adventure film. There are far too few made, if you ask me. I guess most film makers think they will inevitably be compared to Indiana Jones, which is a shame.

So how does this compare to Indiana Jones? Not as good, a bit far-fetched, though I cant say why without giving bits of the plot away, but nonetheless a very entertaining romp.

Its the kind of film that eats your time away. There aren't any real dull moments, and its a shame when it has to finish.

I won't give it five stars, because it could be better, but it definately deserves 4.

Yep, It's a Sequel. But It's Still Fun
Thomas Gates (Joel Gretsch) had a reputation for ciphers. That's why John Wilkes Booth sought him out the night he assassinated President Lincoln. But when Thomas realized he was helping a group that wanted to keep fighting the Civil War, he tour the pages from Booth's diary and tried to burn them.

At least that's the story the Gates family has always believed. Suddenly, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) has come forward with one of those missing pages. On the page is proof that Thomas Gates was in on the assassination.

It's just not that easy for Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and his father Patrick (Jon Voight) to believe. They just know that if they examine the page, they'll find proof that Thomas is innocent of the charges. Enlisting the help of Riley (Justin Bartha) and Abigail (Diane Kruger), they set out to redeem the family name. To do so, they have to find the ancient Indian City of Gold. And they have to enlist the help of Ben's mother Emily (Helen Mirren), who hasn't spoken to Patrick in 32 years. With someone hot on their trail, can they complete their new quest?

Let's the honest, the first movie had plenty of flaws. But it told a fast paced story with lots of humor. This one is pretty much the same. The flaws are a little more pronounced this time, but it is just as funny as the first.

There's still plenty of humor, with the great lines being spread equally amoung the characters, although Riley still gets his share. Unfortunately, several of the best ones from the previews did get cut. The plot, while similar to the first, features new locations and clues that make it feel fresh. And the acting is still good.

Having said all this, the story does have some flaws. First of all, the movie opens with a Civil War setting, and that setting kicks off the story. Now maybe I missed something (it took me two or three viewings to make all the connections in the first one), but why are they using a page from Civil War times to track items which date from the 1870's and 80's?

Additinally, plot points seem to get glossed over. We can make the connections, but an extra few lines of dialog would have been nice. Finally, the villain was too weak for the story, and FBI agent Sadusky really had no point in returning for this film.

While it has some serious flaws, this movie is fun, and that is ultimately what this is all about. So if you are looking for pure escapism, you've come to the right place.