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It is the night of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth and just a few days after the end of the American Civil War in 1865. A member of the secret Confederate society approaches Thomas Gates, a graphic artist, and forces him to decipher the cryptic notes in the diary of Booth. Instead, Gates tears a page off the diary and throws it into the fireplace. The man retrieves the partly burned page and kills Thomas Gates. This event spawns a legend that the lost page is actually a map to buried national treasure, the Lost City of Gold somewhere in the U.S. Fast forward to our time, there is renewed interest in and speculation on the lost torn page but to the dismay of the Gates family. For as soon as Ben Gates (Nicholas Cage) proclaims his great great grandfather Thomas Gates a Civil War hero to an audience in a conference, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), a descendant of a Civil War general, produces the lost page from Booth’s diary and implicates Thomas Gates as the mastermind in the assassination of Lincoln. Desirous of proving the innocence of his great great grandfather and of vindicating the family name, Ben thinks that the only way to do this is to show that the paper is really a map to the treasure by deciphering its clues and then finding the fabled City of Gold. He is assisted in his treasure quest by his former girlfriend Abigail (Diane Kruger), a history curator; his friend Riley (Justin Bartha), a computer whiz; his father Patrick (Jon Voight) and his mother Emily (Helen Mirren) both historical and archaeological scholars. The quest includes the search for clues and deciphering ancient writings in Paris, London and the U.S. To add to the hazardous adventures, there is Mitch also in search for the same treasure and in a collision course with Ben.
The success of the film National Treasure in 1984 which raked in almost $350 encouraged the producers to come up with this sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets. But actually, it is more of a clone with different locations. The two movies are uncannily similar. The same people are involved in similar adventures. There is Ben Gates, his father Patrick, his girlfriend Abigail, Ben’s funny sidekick Riley, even the same FBI agent. There are a similar search for a secret document with esoteric clues too easily deciphered; a quest for historic hidden treasure and problematic adventures. Even the climax is formulaic. Like in the previous movie, the characters find themselves underground with everything collapsing around them. The plot is too preposterous. There is a lot of action which can excite or bore the viewer depending on whether he likes it repetitive or not. The special effects are fantastic though unbelievable. A big come-on for the movie is the cast so studded with star power: three Oscar winners (Helen Mirren, John Voight, Nicholas Cage) and two nominees (Ed Harris and Harvey Keitel), and they all deliver but the film does not offer much opportunity for them to show their talent.
The action-adventure picture National Treasure: Book of Secrets may be just the thing for someone who wishes to relax, for his mind does not have to think hard to solve the puzzles and conspiracy angle. But the film has some values to speak of. Though at first, there is misunderstanding between Ben’s parents, the movie shows that working together and helping each other attain a noteworthy goal can bring the family closer together. Ben’s willingness to go through dangers and difficulties just to clear the family name strikes a chord in the hearts of those who value family honor more than anything else. For indeed, an honorable name that is untainted by scandal, crime or wrongdoing is like a badge that one is proud to wear. A heroic act, especially a sacrificial one like that of Thomas Gates (who prevented a would-be group of confederate plunderers from getting the national treasure) is a legacy that inspires descendants to emulate and to keep unsullied. On the other hand, the motive of Ed Harris’ character to find the treasure for himself instead of preserving it as part of the national patrimony is condemnable. It calls to mind some people who think only of themselves and wouldn’t care what happens to the country because of their greed.
(Date Reviewed: 11 January 2008)
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