NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS
(2 1/2 stars)
Helen Mirren, Justin Bartha, Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight and Diane Kruger in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel and Bruce Greenwood
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Studio Synopsis: For Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), history isnÕt just a dry record of whatÕs occurred in a distant and half-forgotten pastÉfor him, history is alive, vital, and occasionally it offers the
possibility of finding extraordinary treasures. After his astonishing discovery of the riches of the Templar Knights, Ben has become the worldÕs most famous treasure hunterÉalthough he prefers the term Òtreasure protector.Ó Ben and his father, university professor Patrick Gates (Jon Voight), are shaken by the discovery of one of the long-lost pages from the diary of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth. The diary was found on BoothÕs body when he was killed; however, several pages had been torn from the diary and have never been foundÉuntil now. Surprisingly, the information on this page seems to implicate their ancestor Thomas Gates as a co-conspirator in the assassination of President Lincoln. Ben must work with his now ex-girlfriend, American history archivist Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), and his tech-wiz partner, Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), in a globe-trotting adventure which dangerously criss-crosses the inner sanctums of Washington, D.C., Paris, London and the American heartland. As Ben, Patrick, Abigail and Riley meticulously unravel clues which threaten to turn history, and their lives, completely upside down, their search for historical truth widens into a hunt for perhaps the most mysterious and highly guarded book on earth and, from that, to a famed mythological treasure. Much to PatrickÕs consternation, Ben calls upon a secret weaponÑhis formidable mother and PatrickÕs ex-wife, linguistics professor Emily Appleton (Helen Mirren), who hasnÕt spoken to Patrick in 32 years. She is soon caught up in the intrigue, but the team is not alone in its pursuit. The man who brought the lost page to BenÕs attention, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), has his own family history to uncover. But his ambitions are less noble than merely discovering treasure, putting him on a deadly collision course with the others in a desperate effort to uncover the secrets that lie beneath the halfburnt diary page from AmericaÕs past.
Rating: PG
Running Time: 130 minutes
Official Web site: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/national
treasure/

Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/nationaltreasurebook
ofsecrets/


Reviews:
EDGE Miami (C+)
Hollywood.com (3 out of 4 stars)
Metromix South Florida (2 out of 5 stars)
The Palm Beach Post (C)
The Sun-Sentinel (1 1/2 out of 4 stars)

 

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