National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

Indiana Jones. Allan Quartermain. Flynn Carson. I’m a sucker for swashbuckling, scholarly adventurers after hidden treasure, so whether it was considered “good” or not upon its theatrical release (it suffered bad reviews but made a few bucks), I was already all-in when I slid the National Treasure sequel DVD into my player.

And I was not disappointed. A totally far-fetched plot sets up even more ridiculously fun action and bait-n-switch sequences for the cast to frolic through. Returning is the star of the show, Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, as well as his lady love Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) and his faithful sidekick Riley Poole (Justin Bartha). His bookish parents (Jon Voight and Helen Mirren) are thrown into the mix, as are The President (Bruce Greenwood) and the bad guy (Ed Harris).

This time, the story revolves around the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the speculation that John Wilkes Booth did not work alone; in fact, it’s posed that Ben’s own great-great-grandfather was the mastermind of the conspiracy behind the shooting. Determined to clear his family name and–oh–find the legendary city of gold ciphered in Booth’s diary, our intrepid hero and company are off and running across the globe, hitting every historical landmark along the way.

Packed with calculated action, obvious one-liners, and pins and tumblers that fall magically into place at just the right moments, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets is a must-see for fans of the original who want more of the same lightweight excitements and a little extra kick. Returning director Jon Turtletaub (who’s also responsible for the TV fan-fave Jericho) pays respectable attention to detail and keeps the action moving right along, spicing it up with just enough chuckles (there’s a pretty amusing running gag involving Riley’s red ride and assorted other modes of transportation) and too-witty repartee (The Wibberleys return as screenwriters) set against breathtaking backdrops.

The two-disk DVD is packed with extras, as is Disney’s welcome, usual wont. There’s an enjoyable yak track by Turtletaub and Voight (it’s a nice mix of info from behind the camera and in front of perspectives), deleted scenes with introductions by Turtletaub, bloopers, outtakes and eight featurettes (which are, unfortunately, standard making-of stuff and not educational television-styled documentaries on the historical aspects of the film).

Additional Release Material: Audio Commentary, Deleted Scenes, The Treasure Reel, 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 Presidents’ Book, Evolution of a Golden City, Knights of the Golden Circle, and some Easter Eggs.