Jerry Bruckheimer along with director/screenwriter Jon Turteltaub put together an interesting flick that will capture your attention and your imagination. Oscar winner Nicolas Cage ( Leaving Los Vegas) teams up again with Diane Kruger (Troy) and Justin Bartha (National Treasure), picking up approximately where the trio left off but with “life intervening” to create more dynamic tension.
The movie kicks off with the missing pages of a diary holding a secret so explosive that it could change not only the history of the US, but the history of Benjamin Franklin Gates, his family and the legacy of the Gates family as established in the original National Treasure movie. When his great grandfather is implicated in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Ben ( Cage) is determined to clear his name.
The trio embark on a search that inevitably involves Jon Voight at the senior Gates (Ben’s dad) to uncover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and even Helen Mirren as Ben’s mother who plays a feisty woman who takes no garbage from her ex-husband (Voight) but gives her son her full attention when it comes to the clues about the secret of the diary. Add in the antagonist played by Ed Harris who does an admirable job in playing a man who truly believes in what he is doing– but his reasons are unknown and Harvey Keitel returns as the FBI man in charge.
This adventure goes from the US to Buckingham Palace to Mount Rushmore in search of the infamous “Book of Secrets” that’s said to hold the key to every mystery and every truth from the pre-Civil War times to the JFK murder. Only one man has access to this secret book, and the US President (Bruce Greenwood) won’t willingly help out. Packed with trans-atlantic trips, thought-provoking clues leading to more clues in solving this mystery about the truth — or fiction — of the diary and a lightning fast pace of global intrigue, make sure you drink less water and don’t pig out on the popcorn because heading to the restroom will be a mistake.
While some scoffed at the sequel to National Treasure, for many — including me and those who saw the original movie with me– it was a willingness to suspend the disbelief that the sequel would be equal to the original in terms of plot-line and suspens that made the trip (and price of admission, popcorn and drinks) worth it.
This is an E ticket thrill ride of a movie. Think of it as a more thinking man’s Indiana Jones– yes it sounds trite in light of the movie’s upcoming release (and the upcoming review on the trio of the Indiana Jones DVDs), but it’s true. While it is action-packed, it’s more of a team-effort here, and equally throughtful as it is action-oriented.
National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets did exceptionally well at the box office and they expect an even better reception with the release of the DVD and the two disc Gold Collection DVD and the Blu-Ray Disc due out today, May 20, 2008. The single DVD is MSRP at $30.00 and the 2-DVD and Blu-ray disc at MSRP $35.00.
Why buy the double DVD set? The bonus features alone make this worthwhile. In an upcoming blog you will see a transcript of a group interview done with Jon Turteltaub in which I was lucky enough to participate. The interview is thoughtful and really in-depth and Turteltaub was very accessible and answered many technical questions including a key one where he talked about how typically a sequel is easier to shoot because you know the characters and where they are going and who they are. However with this film, they were still writing while they were shooting– so there was some question about the direction and what would end up in the actual finished product. Hence the bonus material is amazing.
Here’s a video embed for you
Why Cebola?
Here’s what’s on the DVD:
Audio commentary with Jon Voight and Von Turteltaug
Deleted scenes with Jon Turteltaub commentary.
The Treasure Reel– blooper & outtakes
Secrets of a Sequel
The Book of Secrets on location
Street Stunts: Creating the London Chase
Inside the Library of Congress
Underground Action
Cover Story: Crafting the President’s Book
Evolution of a Golden City
Knights of the Golden Circle Here’s another hint from the interview: Jon Turteltaub indicated that the first edit of the movie was four hours long. They had to do some serious cutting so a lot of it is in the extras here. Consider this an extra movie for the price and a behind the scenes look of the movie— and worth every penny, nickel and dime!
Find National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets at mass market stores like Target, Walmart, Blockbuster, and also Amazon.com
Stevie Wilson
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