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| National Treasure: Book Of Secrets - 2007 |
Happy Fourth of July weekend to everyone. On this edition of the blog, we feature 2007's "National Treasure: Book Of Secrets". In this sequel to the 2004 film, Ben Gates seeks to clear an ancestor's name and search for a treasure he believes that his ancestor was looking for.
The film's cast includes Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Bruce Greenwood, Brent Briscoe, Harvey Keitel, Randy Travis, and Ty Burrell.
At a Civil War lecture, black market dealer Mitch Wilkinson accuses the ancestor of Ben Gates of being the architect of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
With the help of Riley Poole and Abigail Chase, Ben discovers a hidden cipher on the back of a diary page belonging to John Wilkes Booth. Ben believes that this will lead them to a treasure that was being sought by his ancestor at the time of Lincoln's assassination.
The first clue leads them to Paris, where Ben and Riley visit the twin of the Statue of Liberty. They discover an inscription, which sends them on the next leg of the journey.
The destination is London, England. Buckingham Palace is one of the places where a desk from timbers of the Resolute is kept. There, Ben and Abigail find a very old wood carving in the Queen's desk. They take it, and hurry out of the palace.
Things are a bit messy when Mitch Wilkinson shows up and starts to pursue them through the busy London streets, intent on capturing whatever information they have.
Back in America, Ben takes some pictures of the wood carving to his mother, one of the only people in the world who can decipher what the carvings mean. She is glad to see her son, but not her former husband. Dr. Emily Appleton discovers that the wood carving is one of two pieces, and she can only partially translate what it says because she doesn't have the whole thing.
This necessitates a trip to the White House, courtesy of an acquaintance of Abigail's, to see the other Resolute desk, this time in the Oval Office. When Ben opens the desk, he discovers a printed seal instead of a wood carving, which seems to have been removed.
Outside the White House, Riley informs them that the seal they found references a secret book kept by each president. Only the president knows where it is and what's in it. Their new mission? Kidnap the President of the United States.
This is accomplished at the president's birthday celebration at Mount Vernon. The president tells Ben that the book exists, although he will be a fugitive unless he finds what he is looking for. The president tells him where the book is and how to access it. He also asks Ben to have a look at a certain page and get back to him on it.
The book is held at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. While the original wood carving was destroyed on the orders of President Coolidge, a photograph remains. Ben is able to take a picture of it, and he also glances at the page the president asked him to look at.
The final clue leads everybody (including Mitch Wilkinson and the FBI) to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
It quickly becomes apparent that they are on the right trail. Booby traps abound and one false step can lead to death.
Eventually, they find what they have been seeking: the Cibola, a Native American city of gold. The discovery vindicates Ben's ancestor and also unlocks an important key to pre-Columbian history.
At the conclusion of the film, Ben is brought before the president, who asks if he had an opportunity to look at the page he mention in the president's book. Ben smiles and answers yes, and he thinks he can help.
Cast rundown:
Nicolas Cage.................................Ben Gates
Diane Kruger.................................Abigail Chase
Justin Bartha.................................Riley Poole
Jon Voight.....................................Patrick Gates
Helen Mirren.................................Dr. Emily Appleton
Ed Harris......................................Mitch Wilkinson
Bruce Greenwood..........................The President
Brent Briscoe.................................Michael O'Laughlen
Harvey Keitel.................................Sadusky
Randy Travis.................................Himself
Ty Burrell......................................Connor
And that's it for National Treasure: Book Of Secrets. The ending of this film opens the door for a third film. In 2008, it was announced that future National Treasure movies would be made. However, many delays kept the film from being made. In January 2020, it was officially announced that the third film was officially moving forward with the original cast returning to their roles.
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