National Treasure / National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets [Blu-ray] (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Location: Home » video » General » National Treasure / National Treasure 2 - Book of Secrets [Blu-ray] (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Similar Items:

•	Jumper [Blu-ray]
•	The Golden Compass [Blu-ray]
•	The Spiderwick Chronicles [Blu-ray]
•	Vantage Point [Blu-ray]
•	The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep [Blu-ray]

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com Review for National Treasure
Like a Hardy Boys mystery on steroids, National Treasure offers popcorn thrills and enough boyish charm to overcome its rampant silliness. Although it was roundly criticized as a poor man's rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Da Vinci Code, it's entertaining on its own ludicrous terms, and Nicolas Cage proves once again that one actor's infectious enthusiasm can compensate for a multitude of movie sins. The contrived plot involves Cage's present-day quest for the ancient treasure of the Knights Templar, kept secret through the ages by Freemasons past and present. Finding the treasure requires the theft of the Declaration of Independence (there are crucial treasure clues on the back, of course!), so you can add "caper comedy" to this Jerry Bruckheimer production's multi-genre appeal. Nobody will ever accuse director Jon Turtletaub of artistic ambition, but you've got to admit he serves up an enjoyable dose of PG-rated entertainment, full of musty clues, skeletons, deep tunnels, and harmless adventure in the old-school tradition. It's a load of hokum, but it's fun hokum, and that makes all the difference. --Jeff Shannon

Amazon.com Review for National Treasure: Book of Secrets
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
National Treasure: From Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, comes the definitive NATIONAL TREASURE. Get closer to the edge of your seat with the 2-Disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray of this thrilling adventure starring Academy Award(R) Winners Jon Voight (Best Actor, COMING HOME, 1978) and Nicolas Cage (Best Actor, LEAVING LAS VEGAS, 1995) as Benjamin Franklin Gates. Since boyhood, Gates has been obsessed with finding the legendary Knights Templar Treasure, the greatest fortune known to man. As he tries to find and decipher ancient riddles that will lead him to it, Gates is dogged by a ruthless enemy (Sean Bean, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy). Now in a race against time, Gates must steal one of America's most sacred and guarded documents -- the Declaration of Independence -- or let it, and a key clue to the mystery, fall into dangerous hands. Heart-pounding chases, close calls and the FBI turn Gates' quest into a high-stakes crime caper and the most exciting treasure hunt you've ever experienced, now with a treasure trove of new special features
National Tresure 2- Book of Secrets:
Join Nicolas Cage on a heart-pounding adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat in a race to find the Lost City of Gold. Grounded in history, imbued with myth and mystery, Disney's NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS takes you on a globe-trotting quest full of adrenaline-pumping twists and turns -- all leading to the final clue in a mysterious and highly guarded book containing centuries of secrets. But there's only one way to find it -- Ben Gates must kidnap the President. Packed with fast-paced action and crackling humor, NATIONAL TREASURE 2: BOOK OF SECRETS is a movie your entire family will want to rediscover again and again

Customer Reviews: Read 258 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Monumental Secrets January 9, 2008
69 out of 85 found this review helpful

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

3 out of 5 stars

3.5 Stars for this unnecessary but fun sequel with an outstanding bonus "Goofy" cartoon January 7, 2008
50 out of 69 found this review helpful

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.

4 out of 5 stars

Great action-adventure film PLUS a cartoon! December 21, 2007
47 out of 56 found this review helpful

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."

1 out of 5 stars

What A Disney Disaster! Another Sterile Movie For The Masses! December 28, 2007
11 out of 42 found this review helpful

There's so much wrong about this pitiful film I don't know where to start! As an adult, I found National Treasure: Book of Secrets the most boring movie I have seen on the big screen all year. I had to use every ounce of will power not to walk out of the theater and demand my money back!

Before the movie even started, I was forced to sit through an infuriatingly dopey Disney cartoon, which was nothing more than a not-so-subtle commercial for expensive T.V. and stereo equipment. It went on and on and on. Finally I had to close my eyes in order not to get overly aggravated! Wow! How low Disney has sunk to make a buck.

The story was written to the level of a 10 year old! There's close to nothing to entertain an adult. It's a blatant and poorly done rip-off of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

I can deal with a story that's preposterous if it's enjoyable. But kidnapping the president by walking him through a tunnel. How exciting! Finding a Central or South American city hidden many thousands of miles away in the Badlands of South Dakota! Yikes!, how insulting to all the Plains Indian tribes can you get? Or, how dumb do you think the American movie going audience is? Can at least a modicum of reality seep into the story?

The special affects are so trite! The props look so fake that I thought they were using an amusement park to film this movie. I was waiting for a water slide to show up at any moment!

The acting was pitiful! Nicholas Cage had such a painful expression on his face throughout the movie I though he must either be embarrassed or ashamed of himself for stooping so low. I realize actors need to make a living. But he, of all people, can pick and choose his film projects.

The only good thing I could think of is the scene with the President and a cameo of a Hillary Clinton look-alike at the President's birthday party. Since the Hillary cameo was having such a good time at the party, it can be assumed the Democrats won the 2008 election!

3 out of 5 stars

Fools' Gold May 26, 2008
10 out of 14 found this review helpful

(2.5 *'s) `National Treasure 2' is benign, yet slight, family entertainment. Continuing the treasure hunt (again with a decidedly patriotic thrust) Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) leads his globe trotting entourage to Paris, London`s Buckingham Palace, and even inside the most intimate desk drawers of the Oval Office. This time clues are sprinkled around the Western Hemisphere in Native American language, sending Ben and his sidekicks, Abigail (Diane Kruger) and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), to retrieve them and find the Lost City of Gold.

While I liked the first 'National Treasure,' suspension of disbelief needs even more audience participation with this effort. (When Riley sets up a surveillance center from a bathroom stall in Buckingham Palace, well, you just have to decide to go along for the ride.) I found their first excursion preposterous, but I loved the characters and the caper. I still do, but this time the tension is diminished and the destination is even less to anticipate than its predecessor. And, while Ben Gates is no Jason Bourne, the movie has the necessary irreverence to poke fun of itself. ("I went to Buckingham Palace, and all I got was this old piece of wood.") They have to, after all, to gain some credibility.

In this installment (the receipts do suggest another sequel) Ben must clear the name of an ancestor, Thomas Gates, who is linked by an artifact that implicates him with a scheme to obtain gold and help the confederacy win the Civil War. While reenacting Lincoln's assassination at the Ford Theater, a member of The Knights of the Southern Circle, confronts Thomas at a local tavern and forces him at gunpoint to decode a message aimed at getting a cache of valuable gold that would overthrow the Union's victory.

Fast-forward to the present...and joining them on the trail are Ben's professorial father (Jon Voight) and his language expert mother (Helen Mirren). Instead of an anonymous front of security personnel, we get two greedy FBI agents (Ed Harris and Harvey Keitel) who follow our scholarly crew closely to get to the treasure first and make their claim for fame and fortune.

`National Treasure 2' may be insubstantial, but it does offer some rewards. With a relaxing, no-brainer plot and an admirably uplifting, patriotic execution, the film won't inspire refunds, but it's not as hefty as 'The Bourne Ultimatum' or anything from the 'Indiana Jones' franchise. (I loved a London car chase scene even if I've seen most of the tricks before.) As a substandard adventure, the movie goes down easily, has some breezy irreverence, and sports a fine performance by Helen Mirren, whom I didn't even recognize with an American accent until the final credits. Sometimes this piece of fools' gold can be fun.

My recommendation: Save this one for Flag Day, Independence Day, or one of those wet, rainy days or when you're too tired to think. (Happy Memorial Day!)

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

T-shirts, Posters

Pentagram T-shirts, bags, etc...

Gothic Posters

Antique Map Reproductions

Che Guevara shirts
and accessories