Product Details

• Actors: Maryellen Aviano, Glenn Beck, Susan Beresford, Nicolas Cage, Larry Cedar
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
• DVD Release Date: May 20, 2008
• Run Time: 124 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (339 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0013BM6JI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,237 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial 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

Stills from National Treasure: Book of Secrets (click for larger image)

Product 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). On that page are the names of the Lincoln assassination conspirators. Thomas Gates, Ben Gates' great-great-grandfather, is listed on the page. After discovering this, Ben does not want Thomas Gates to be remembered "as a conspirator in the assassination of the man who brought this nation together." His quest to clear his family's name leads to unexpected twists and turns. Agent Sadusky (Harvey Keitel) tells Ben that a secret book has the information he needs. The president's "book of secrets" holds documents, for presidents' eyes only, of all the nations secrets; from the truth behind the JFK conspiracy, the missing minutes from the Watergate tapes, and Area 51. When Ben's request to see the book is denied, he says he must kidnap the president. Each clue leads him closer "to a discovery that the world isn't ready to believe."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great action-adventure film PLUS a cartoon!, December 21, 2007

By 

R. Kyle (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: National Treasure: Book of Secrets [Theatrical Release] (Theatrical Release)

Ben Gates is just not doing well at all:

His girlfriend broke up with him
He's living with his father

and....

Ben Gates' Great Grandfather, Thomas Gates, is just about to be nationally recognized as a hero when Mitch Wilkinson steps out and announces he has evidence that Thomas Gates was part of the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln.

In order to clear his ancestor's name, Ben, his sidekick Riley, and Ben's father start to investigate an order of Southern militants. What they discover was that Queen Victoria supported the Southerner's cause and she was attempting to help them find a treasure to finance the war.

Naturally, there's a treasure involved--the famed City of Gold. In order to find this treasure, they must race against Mitch Wilkinson and kidnap the US President to get to the Presidential Book of Secrets, containing information about everything from the City of Gold to Area 51 and the Kennedy Assassination.

Along the way, Ben's ex-girlfriend, Abigail, and Mom, Dr. Em Appleton, are added to the treasure hunting crew.

In my opinion, "Book of Secrets" has exceeded the "National Treasure." The story's better, the ensemble cast is strongly refined, and both the jokes and action just keep coming. Everyone in the cast save for Ed Harris impressed me. I honestly wasn't sure whether Mitch Wilkinson was a mercenary or a misguided man trying to claim some fame for his own family.

And yes--there appears to be a good chance we will see more of Ben Gates' adventuring. This one sanctioned by the President himself. I'm looking forward to Film 3.

An added bonus was the Disney cartoon up front where Goofy gets a bigscreen TV. The story details an armchair quarterback's quest for the optimal viewing experience and how simple it is to set up a modern home theatre system. The jokes were so fast and furious I had tears in my eyes by the end and my stomach hurt from laughing. This cartoon is second only to my all-time favorite movie cartoon featuring the "Madagascar Penguins" that featured in front of "Wallace and Gromit--the Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

58 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Monumental Secrets, January 9, 2008

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: National Treasure: Book of Secrets [Theatrical Release] (Theatrical Release)

Short Attention Span Summary (SASS):

1. Civil War dirty secrets are brought to light and set alight
2. Ben Gates' great-great grandfather gets bad name, but isn't completely clueless
3. Ben Gates (Cage) follows cryptic clues to clear the family name.
4. Clues actually lead to mighty big treasure, but that isn't the real prize, apparently.
5. Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) goes to a lot of trouble to get Gates to show him the money
6. Apparently, the money isn't the only issue in his case either
7. Highly impossible but riveting treasure hunt crosses the pond and back
8. Security personnel at Buckingham Palace are not amused
9. Cameras installed for traffic offenses have excellent resolution and can actually come in handy for close-ups of small objects traveling at high speed
10. The President of the United States will drop everything to do a little tunnel exploration with Nicholas Cage.
11. Cage pulls Cheney too
12. Occupants of the Oval Office sometimes write secrets in a little diary and then hide it
13. You won't believe the places where people have been hiding stuff.
14. Helen Mirren adds class to the cast. Jon Voight and Harvey Keitel add comic relief. Cage adds yet another bad hairdo.

This movie has more exciting bits than the first (as far as I can remember), and can get the old adrenaline pumping. Fans of the Indiana Jones series will probably want to watch this, but will leave thinking that Harry Ford would have done a much better job in the lead role.

The romantic (!) parts don't work at all, and you'll really have to suspend reality for this one, but there's still enough to rate it four stars.



Amanda Richards, January 9, 2008

40 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 Stars for this unnecessary but fun sequel with an outstanding bonus "Goofy" cartoon, January 6, 2008

By 

Steven Hedge "Movie Fan" (Somewhere "East of Eden") - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: National Treasure: Book of Secrets [Theatrical Release] (Theatrical Release)

The opening Goofy cartoon alone is worth the price of admission to this family friendly film. Like most sequels, this one is generally satisfying, but no match to its predecessor as it simply isn't as fresh or original.

Amazon's review is solid in hitting all the plot points and general positive and negatives about this film; therefore, I'll dispense with covering much of that as this film is really for die hard Cage fans and for those that loved the first Treasure film. This one can't hold a candle to that one, but it does well enough on its own.

The characters are all back and still fun, Riley is my favorite with lines like, "Oh, here come my tax dollars to arrest me," and the addition of Ben Gates' mom played by Helen Mirren, who is supposedly so mean she can freeze beer with just a stare, is an asset to any film she graces. Although Sean Bean was a far more interesting villain, Ed Harris, not new to playing a heavy (see A History of Violenceand Just Cause) is okay enough here. Diane Kruger returns as Cage's nearly ex-wife and is just as charming and alluring as she was in the first (I love that accent of hers). Of course, Jon Voight returns as Gates' dad and is hysterical in his scenes with Helen Mirren who always makes him feel like he's three years old. Naturally, this film would be nothing without Cage's engaging performance at Ben Gates, although I do think he's doing a bit more "going through the motions" with this outing (and we are threatened with a third at the end).

The plot like the first one is unbelievable and filled with holes, but also like the first one, we are willing to suspend our disbelief to enjoy the ride the film provides. The chase scenes are exciting, but less believable than our first go-around. Come on, London is known for having the world's largest parking lot for streets. No one is car/bus chasing anyone through there! However, like I said, we are along for the ride here and we know it's all silly stuff, but it is enjoyable even if it is a bit of a letdown in comparison to the first National Treasure.