National Treasure: Book of Secrets suffers from the same issue that plagues many sequels—it offers more of the same without breaking much new ground. Released in 2007 as a follow-up to the surprise hit National Treasure, the film once again follows Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) as he races against time to uncover historical secrets. This time, the stakes are more personal, with the Gates family legacy on the line.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets kicks off with a flashback to 1865, shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Thomas Gates, ancestor of Ben, is approached by John Wilkes Booth and fellow conspirator Michael O’Laughlen in a tavern near Ford’s Theatre. They ask him to decode a ciphered page from Booth’s diary. Gates realizes they are members of the Knights of the Golden Circle and attempts to prevent them from succeeding, destroying several pages in the process—and ultimately paying with his life. The real KGC disbanded in 1863 and members of a successor group were arrested and tried for treason.

In the present day, Gates is being honored when a new figure, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), presents one of the missing diary pages. It suggests Thomas Gates helped plan Lincoln’s assassination. Naturally, Ben cannot allow the Gates name to be tarnished, and so begins another hunt—this time, not for treasure, but for truth. With Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) back at his side, National Treasure: Book of Secrets quickly becomes a globetrotting affair.

The clues this time lead the team from Washington, D.C. to Paris and then London. A cipher sends Gates to a scale model of the Statue of Liberty in France, where they discover a clue pointing to the Resolute desks. The desks—one in Buckingham Palace, the other in the White House—hold pieces of a puzzle that may clear the Gates family name. While the globe-trotting adds some visual flair, it can’t mask the fact that Book of Secrets mostly follows the exact structure of the original National Treasure.

When the team fails to locate anything inside the White House desk, Gates concocts a truly absurd plan: kidnap the President of the United States (Bruce Greenwood) at Mount Vernon. The goal? Gain access to the mythical Book of Secrets, said to contain classified information known only to Presidents. And somehow, the President goes along with it. National Treasure: Book of Secrets thrives on disbelief, but even this feels like a stretch, even by adventure movie standards.

The Book of Secrets leads the team to a photo of the plank located in the Library of Congress, which then requires translation. Enter Emily Appleton Gates (Helen Mirren), Ben’s estranged mother and a specialist in ancient languages. With both parents now along for the ride, and with Mitch never far behind, the group makes their way to the final destination: Mount Rushmore. Why? Because, of course, the national landmark is hiding something—an ancient Native American city of gold known as Cíbola.

Let’s be honest: the idea of a city of gold hidden behind Mount Rushmore is completely ludicrous. And yet, National Treasure: Book of Secrets commits to it with such earnest energy that you can’t help but go along. The film plays fast and loose with historical facts because Queen Victoria didn’t support the Confederacy, Édouard Laboulaye wouldn’t have provided Lady Liberty clues until 1875, and the desks arrived too late for the Civil War. All of it may be historically inaccurate but dramatically convenient.

Trevor Rabin returns as composer, but the score for Book of Secrets never quite matches the memorable energy of the original National Treasure theme. That iconic music does make a late appearance in the end credits, which helps recapture a little of the magic from the first film.

By the end, Gates clears his family’s name, Mitch sacrifices himself for redemption, and the mystery of Page 47 in the President’s Book of Secrets is teased as setup for a third film. That sequel has been in development limbo ever since. What’s on Page 47? Fans of National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets are still waiting to find out—nearly two decades later.

While National Treasure: Book of Secrets is undeniably more of the same, it still delivers an enjoyable ride. The stakes are higher, the cast is expanded, and the set pieces are bigger—even if the logic is more questionable. It may not reach the cleverness of its predecessor, but National Treasure: Book of Secrets remains a fun, if flawed, adventure film.

DIRECTOR: Jon Turteltaub
SCREENWRITERS: Marianne and Cormac Wibberley
CAST: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Maize, Timothy Murphy, Armando Riesco, Albert Hall, and Helen Mirren

Walt Disney Pictures opened National Treasure: Book of Secrets on December 21, 2007. The film is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital. Grade: 3/5

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