National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (PG, 2007)

common sense media says

Action-packed treasure hunt is age-appropriate but so-so.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the action in this fast-paced adventure sequel is loud and sometimes tense (car chases, near falls from high ledges in a dark cave, etc.), but for the most part it's pretty tame. The most troubling scene comes early, when, in a flashback to 1865, a child sees his father shot and killed; the sequence also includes a reenactment of Abraham Lincoln's assassination (not bloody, but obvious). In the present day, there's some shooting, car crashes, hand-to-hand fighting, and threats made with guns. Expect some cleavage shots, plus innocuous flirting and kissing.

Positive messages: Hacking into official computer systems, breaking laws, and, in one instance, kidnapping the president. Bad guys trick good guys into finding treasure, then threaten them and use violence.
Violence & scariness: Frequent raucous action-adventure-style scenes, including car chases (banging, crashing, screeching), shooting, and fighting. There's a reenactment of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, but the gunshot to his head isn't particularly graphic. In a flashback scene, a young boy sees his father shot and killed. A man is knocked out in his home. Ben struggles against being taken into custody by British police. Tense teetering and near falls from precarious surfaces inside a cave; rush of water nearly drowns people trapped in the cave.
Sexy stuff: Some romantic, chaste kissing between the main couple. A couple of scenes feature brief shots of women's cleavage. In one flirtatious scene, Abigail shows off her tight dress and cleavage in order to distract a man; she kisses him passionately, then dismisses him.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Borders Books, Ferrari, iPod, Mac laptops, Mercedes SUV.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: A few scenes set at bars, restaurants, or parties include background drinking. Emily suggests that her brief marriage to Patrick started with a drunken encounter.

More on National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the differences between real history and "Hollywood history." Why do you think filmmakers bend the facts so often? Is real history less entertaining than the kind that's manufactured for the movies? Do you think this movie is trying to prompt kids to take an interest in history? Kids: What do you know about the historical sites featured in the film (the White House, Buckingham Palace, and Mount Rushmore)? How could you find out more?

What's the story?

What's the story?
In NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS, history fanatic/inveterate puzzle solver Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is making his living lecturing on his family's contributions to U.S. legacies. So imagine his horror when another self-proclaimed patriot, Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris), asserts that a Gates ancestor was a "mastermind" in the assassination of Ben's favorite president, Abraham Lincoln. Declaring that he must clear his family's name, Ben takes off on a treasure hunt along with his history-buff dad, Patrick (Jon Voight), ex-girlfriend/archivist, Abigail (Diane Kruger), and sidekick Riley (Justin Bartha).s Ben's mother (Helen Mirren), who hasn't spoken to Patrick for 32 years, joins the team as translator. The treasure hunt takes the crew from Paris to London to Washington, D.C., with each location affording glimpses of historical monuments and occasions for Cage's antics. Soon the hunters are being hunted by FBI agents (led by Harvey Keitel

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
It's never a good sign when you can figure out a secret plot before a movie's characters do. Then again, that's not very hard to do when the plot is the same as the first time you saw it. Unfortunately, this sequel adds precious few new ideas to the blueprint established in National Treasure.

As in the first film, Cage is the primary draw, alternately goofy and smirky and always entertaining. Frankly, he's the only cast member who can make the unwieldy expository dialogue seem at all plausible.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Cast: Diane Kruger, Harvey Keitel, Nicolas Cage
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 124 minutes
Theatrical release: December 20, 2007
DVD release: May 19, 2008
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: some violence and action.
Watch our review

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 
 

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What parents & educators say

8

Most useful reviews by all members

Stanley
teen, 16 years old
 
Disappointing...
The first was definitely better...'nuff said.

musicfan789
teen, 14 years old
 
great
i didnt think this was possible but this one is better than the first one it was great

4Spice
adult
 
good movie 10 and over
very good movie better then first good for family too 10 and over

tving
teen, 14 years old
 
no no for under 10
very scary its really wierd when u see the skeltons its just plain wierd and the sex com'mon the lady just kisses him and you see that she really hates it and then she stops abruptly when the guy gets wwhat he whants

NDC
kid, 11 years old
 
I loved it!
I think National Treasure Book of Secrets is a very good movie. There are a ccouple of violent parts but everything else is ok. Iwould say that it is ok for 8 and up.

Benito36
parent of 12 year old
 
I started watching the movie and really liked it however they use God's name in vain which is worse than cussing. B/c of that I cannot recommend the movie.

movie fan141999
kid, 12 years old
 
alsome
it is a the best history movie ever

lightandlife
parent of 8 and 12 year old
 
Great Sequel!
I was happy to see the sequel followed just about the same path as the first, which made it really good! It was a little more violent than the first one with the guy getting shot in the first scenes of the movie, but overall, it was clean like the first. Refreshing having movies like National Treasure and this sequel to see with the whole family that is actually clean!

 
Great Family Movie!
As a parent in his early 30s of children who are ages 8 & 10, this movie reminds me much of The Goonies...without all of the bad language. While the movie is fiction, there are historical elements to the movie that are neat to hear about and can be used as educational tools for your children. For example, the opening scene is a dramatic re-enactment of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Relax...there's no blood or gore associated with it. Most kids will be familiar with the story, but few will know many details about it. On a social level, the movie deals with stuff that some kids will be able to relate to and others won't. For example, Ben Gates' parents are divorced and not necessarily fond of each other but somehow grow closer once again throughout the adventure in the movie. Ben and his girlfriend have lived together and are now broken up. There is a scene in which they're discussing who will take possession of some mutual property. Nothing is detailed throughout it, but your kids may pick up on it. The rest of the movie is action-packed without showing gore or much violence (especially by comparison to the first movie). Ed Harris is a great bad guy as always, who shows a good side in the end. As usual, Disney did a superb job with the HD rendering and the surround sound is great as well.

chinoSS
teen, 15 years old
 
I didn't think that national treasure2 had as much historical content as the first and I find it hard to beleave that the city of gold could be is south dakota. wasn't it suppose to be in south america? the history the movie made up wasn't as beleavable as the first one. a golden city beneath mt. rushmore? I don't think so. a book that is passed down through all the presidents seems logical though.

movieluver!<3
teen, 15 years old
 
Better than the 1st
this National Treasure Movie was way better than the first one! This movie was so interesting with its histroical facts and artifacts! i really enjoyed it! it even had some funny parts! nothing bad in it but some mild fighting and kissing. great family movie! 7+

ohya
parent of 14 year old
 
the first was a bit better,maybe

Emmi
kid, 12 years old
 
OK for 10 and up
The movie was ok

randomnamco
teen, 16 years old
 
more clues...
This movie, like national treasure, Has the same concept with the clues, but the clues arn't as in depth and are harder to understand. The movie doesn't have a good message because the main character does things like kidnapping the president.

Temerity
teen, 18 years old
 
Good Movie, but another unnessessary sequel from Disney
I personally loved the original National Treasure movie and Disney movies are not usually my thing. The National Treasure movies still require a suspension of disbelief like all Disney movies, but less so than your average cars and animals talking and singing fairy tale. Rather than searching for another treasure full of all the great lost historical artifacts through the ages, Ben and friends and now on the trail of Cibola, the lost city of gold. The storyline is very much similar to the first movie especially in the way that the "bad guys" do nothing to come closer to the treasure, but keep up with them anyways. You should definately still see this movie its great for most all of the family the only concerns are a fair deal of mild violence and high speed chases and some questionable social behavior such as hacking government computers and kidnapping the president.

Spud
adult
 
Not for sensitive kids
I wouldn't call this sequel as family-friendly as the first National Treasure. There was no bad language, I have to give it points for that, but it didn't do as well in the other categories. In the first movie two of the main characters bought a house together. It's assumed they were married by this point, but in the sequel you find out that they weren't. And unlike the first National Treasure movie where all the bad guys get caught by the police, the bad guy in the sequel dies. That part could be disturbing to kids.

bobome
kid, 11 years old
 
Encore!
Loved it like a brother I never had. I loved the action-packed chases. You just want to see it over over again. 100% baby awsome and AMAZING!

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ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age