National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

Director:

Jon Turteltaub

Writers (WGA):

Marianne Wibberley (screenplay) &
Cormac Wibberley (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary.

Plot Keywords:

Gate | Book | Diary | Gold | Conspiracy

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Ben Gates
Justin Bartha	...	Riley Poole
Diane Kruger	...	Abigail Chase
Jon Voight	...	Patrick Gates
Helen Mirren	...	Emily Appleton
Ed Harris	...	Mitch Wilkinson
Harvey Keitel	...	Sadusky
Bruce Greenwood	...	The President
Ty Burrell	...	Connor
Michael Maize	...	Daniel
Timothy V. Murphy	...	Seth
Alicia Coppola	...	FBI Agent Spellman
Armando Riesco	...	FBI Agent Hendricks
Albert Hall	...	Dr. Nichols
Joel Gretsch	...	Thomas Gates

Also Known As:

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (South Africa: English title) (DVD box title) (USA) (DVD box title)
National Treasure 2 (Australia)
La leyenda del tesoro perdido - El libro de los secretos (Argentina) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
Benjamin Gates et le livre des secrets (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
A Lenda do Tesouro Perdido: Livro dos Segredos (Brazil) [pt]
A nemzet aranya 2. - Titkok könyve (Hungary) [hu]
Büyük hazine: Sirlar kitabi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Benjamin Gates 2 - Le livre des secrets (France) (DVD box title) [fr]
Das Vermächtnis des geheimen Buches (Germany) [de]
Il mistero delle pagine perdute (Italy) [it]
Kansallisaarre: Salaisuuksien kirja (Finland) [fi]
La búsqueda 2 - El diario secreto (Spain) [es]
Lovci pokladu: Kniha tajemství (Czech Republic) [cs]
Nacionalno blago: Knjiga tajni (Serbia) [sr]
National Treasure: Hemligheternas bok (Sweden) [sv]
Rahvuslik aare: Saladuste raamat (Estonia) [et]
Skarb narodów: Ksiega tajemnic (Poland) [pl]
Sta ihni tou hamenou thisavrou - To vivlio me ta mystika (Greece) [el]
Trésor national: Le livre des secrets (Canada: French title) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG for some violence and action.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | Australia:PG | Taiwan:PG-12 | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:PG | Norway:11 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG (certificate #43985) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Argentina:Atp | Germany:12 | Brazil:10 | South Africa:10M | South Africa:10V | Peru:PT | New Zealand:PG | Netherlands:12 | Denmark:11 | Canada:G (Québec) | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, UK

Company:

Walt Disney Pictures

Trivia:

The code seen in Booth's Diary is an actual text encoded with Playfair method using the keyword DEATH. The complete text says: "La Boulaye lady will lead to Cibola temples of gold".

Goofs:

Factual errors: The account of Esteban in the book is fiction. Esteban and his master were two of four survivors of a 1528 (not 1527, as stated in the book) Florida expedition (which did not shipwreck, as stated in the book), and beached on present-day Follett's Island, Texas on a makeshift raft. Upon their return to Spain, they related the stories from the natives about seven cities of gold, which seemed to confirm a legend from the mid-12th century: in order to protect their sacred religious relics from the conquering Moors, seven bishops fled Mérida to a then-unknown land to hide them; the hiding places eventually grew to seven cities of untold riches, one of which was called "Cibola". Esteban did return to the New World, as the book says, but as a guide in a 1539 expedition to find the cities, not as its leader.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Barkeep: He's in the other room.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy: Things You Never Hear (#1.22)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Cocoanuts

The secret's out: the formula still works with "National Treasure" sequel

The follow up to the 2004 box office surprise "National Treasure" is everything you'd expect. Thank goodness. It should come as no surprise that the conspiracy-based code-cracking mystery adventure is still just as hot as it was in the "year of "The Da Vinci Code."" There is nothing new, nothing special or unexpected about "Book of Secrets" only Ed Harris replacing Sean Bean as the rival treasure seeker. That, and the addition of Helen Mirren as Nicholas Cage's mother to strengthen the film's female roles thanks to leading lady Diane Kruger's utter mediocrity.

The film has all the same history mystery you remember, the national (and now international) landmarks, the witty inserts from Justin Bartha's character Riley, and of course the preposterous plans for Benjamin Franklin Gates to get whatever he's after. In other words, if you're looking for something different, more clever, or intellectually stimulating, read the Da Vinci Code again and don't bother with this film. If you want more quirky, ridiculous, treasure-seeking fun that picks up right where the last left off, this is your ticket. ~Steven C

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