National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

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Overview:

A sequel to National Treasure released in 2007 following Ben Gates, still played by Nicolas Cage, post his huge Templar treasure find. With fame and fortune Gates has not found happiness and it gets worse when Mitch Wilkinson, played by Ed Harris, reveals a long lost page from John Wilkes Booth's diary which turns one of the Gates historic heritage of trying to save the Union during the Civil War into one of the conspirators to kill Lincoln.

The conspiracy leads Gates on another treasure hunt but this time involving his family much more deeply than ever before. Directed again by Jon Turteltaub and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer the film was received less positively than the original but was still a major earner at the box office. Since its release rumors of another National Treasure films have surfaced with even Turteltaub saying he wants to do one but won't rush its production.

Plot Summary:

Ben Gates, played by Nicolas Cage, Patrick Gates, played by Jon Voight, and the entire Gates family has been transformed in the history books after Ben discovered a long rumored treasure beneath New York City and spread the findings among the world's museums. Since then he has been working to teach others about the work his family has done throughout American history and spread the word of their good deeds.

As Ben and Patrick are teaching at a university lecture about Thomas Gates, a member of the Gates family who was thought to have thwarted one of John Wilkes Booth's men and even possibly stall the eventual assassin. Ben even thinks that his great-great-grandfather even burn the pages of Booth's diary after being asked/tricked into solving a puzzle leading to a possible treasure map. But as Ben just finishes his story he is interrupted by Mitch Wilkinson, played by Ed Harris.

Mitch asks Ben what he thinks happened to notorious missing pages of Booth's diary. Ben says he and history may never know and Mitch reveals he does, and that the page he has, handed down in his family from his former Confederate great-great-grandfather, tells a different story. It reveals that Thomas Gates wasn't tricked into solving the ancient puzzle but instead might have been a previously unknown conspirator in the assassination of Lincoln.

Ben isn't only having problems with his family's history again, his girlfriend from his first adventure Dr. Abigail Chase, played by Diane Kruger, isn't completely agreeing with him and has kicked him out of their house. Meanwhile he takes his partner in treasure hunting, Riley Poole, played by Justin Bartha, who has gone broke back into the hunt for the proof that will clear his family's name.

After discovering that the page is more than likely from Booth's diary Ben begins his search for the truth. On one of the pages Ben finds a code that leads him to Laboulaye's lady, one of the three statues of Liberty located in Paris. On the top of the statue Riley and Ben discover another hint which infers clues in the two Resolute desks, one located in Buckingham Palace and the other in The White House. As Riley and Ben begin their plan to take a look at the one at Buckingham Palace they stumble upon a following Abigail, who is in turn being followed by Mitch and some hired goons.

Abigail gets drawn into Ben's plan and both are put in the Palace's temporary hold for fighting. With the help of Riley's computer skills they are able to escape their cell and use a dumbwaiter to gain access to the desk. They discover that the man who made the desks also made puzzle boxes and soon discover the drawers on the desk, when opened just right, pop open a hidden side compartment with an ancient wooden slab. The slab has what looks like a dead Indian language on it.

As Gates, Abigail, and Riley escape from Buckingham Palace his phone call to his dad, Patrick, is being listened to by Mitch. Mitch learns about the plank and soon chases Gates and company through the streets of London for it. After a car chase through busy streets Ben eventually realizes he can't win, speeds through a red light, and throws the plank off a bridge to stall Mitch long enough to escape.

With a photograph of the plank, from running through the red light, Ben convinces Patrick to go and see his mom, Dr. Emily Appleton, played by Helen Mirren. Dr. Appleton and Patrick don't see eye to eye and but she's the only one who might be able to translate the Indian languages on the plank. She reluctantly allows Patrick in her office but gladly gives Ben her professional opinion. She reveals that the plank Ben has is incomplete and that there should be another somewhere but that it does mention an ancient city of gold. Ben then realizes he must break into the Oval Office and take a look at the other Resolute desk, the president's desk.

Luckily Abigail, while not being happy with Ben, recently went on a date with a White House west-winger, Conner, played by Ty Burrell. Abigail, with the help of Ben's "jealous boyfriend" coaxing, he shows the two into the Oval Office. Abigail feigns a missing earring giving Ben just long enough to discover the hidden compartment in the desk only to realize the plank is already missing. Where the plank has been once hidden only remained a mysterious seal almost similar to the presidential symbol.

After returning to his dad's house Riley reveals where he knows the symbol from. One of his conspiracy theories, many of which he outlined in a book no one bought or read, includes the Presidential Book of Secrets. A book handed down between presidents and hidden somewhere only president's know of that includes everything from who killed Kennedy to Area 51. Ben, believing now in the book, realizes there is only one thing he can do now, kidnap the president.

With the president's birthday coming up Ben, Riley, and Patrick call in some fake reservations for large events in and around Washington DC leaving only one place for the president's press department one place to book, Mount Vernon. There Ben sneaks into the party and is able to convince the president that he has discovered a possible ancient escape route underneath the mansion. After leading the president down into the secret passage he cuts his return off and admits to the president what he's doing. The president is free to go and tells Ben that he can't lie about Ben kidnapping him, but he does reveal the location of the Book and which page numbers to take a look at.

Ben and his friends quickly head to the Library of Congress where they find the book and the evidence of the plank found by Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge has the plank destroyed and commissioned Mount Rushmore to hide any secret markings that led to the ancient city of gold. At Mouth Rushmore the group are met by Mitch who has kidnapped Ben's mother and forces him to lead him to the treasure. They work their way to the hidden entrance and then through the traps of the treasure room. Soon they find the massive underground city of gold but with only one way to escape, to let the city flood.

The one escape route requires both Ben and Mitch to operate the machinery to keep the escape hatch open. Mitch doesn't plan on staying but after freeing Ben from the door that would have crushed him he is now stuck holding the mechanism opening. Mitch lets everyone else leave, sacrificing himself so everyone else may leave. As Ben leaves he promises Mitch he would give him part of the recognition for the discovery. The discovery clears the Gates family name and the president clears Ben of all charges saying the "kidnapping" was an accident.

Critical Reception:

Generally regarded as a solid sequel to the original but still panned by critics for average acting and script but praised for the action. Though not receiving as high of a level of reviews on sites like Rotten Tomatoes this film did earn over $300 million at the box office roughly $100 million more than the original. With such success rumors of a third and forth film stirred and were confirmed not long afterward with director Turteltaub confirming a third film but saying it would be a slower production schedule. Disney, the studio that produces the films, has since heavily hinted the planned third and fourth films.