National Treasure Book of Secrets

I recently saw National Treasure: Book of Secrets at Regal Rooftop Cinemas in Forest Acres. I have anxiously anticipated seeing this film since I happened upon it filming during my visit to Washington DC. I loved the first film with its mixture of fact, adventure, and fantasy so I expected much from this movie, and I wasn't disappointed.

The premise of the story has to do with the great- grandfather of the lead character, Benjamin Gates, being branded a traitor based on a reference from the diary of Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth and Gate's quest to clear his relative's name.

The places in the story were real. The film opens with a historical lecture on how Gates's great- grandfather, Thomas Gates, became a hero by burning several pages of the Booth diary which would have led to a gigantic stash of gold allowing the Confederate States of America to win the Civil War. Allegedly, a page rescued from the fire listed conspirators of the assassination plot, which included Thomas Gates. A man comes forward with the incriminating page branding Thomas Gates an accessory to the Lincoln Assassination and besmirching the Gates's family name so from there the chase is on.

Ben Gates, his love interest Abigail, and his side- kick Riley begin an epic journey in search of clues to the location of the City of Gold. They break into Buckingham Palace, kidnap the president of the U.S., climb Mt. Rushmore and consort with the enemy to make their way to the legendary City of Gold located in a secret cave beneath a lake. The action is fast and furious, and the ciphers and encrypted relics provide an air of mystery. In some cases I knew what would happen before it happened, but the plot provided enough twists and turns to keep me engaged. While there was not much hand to hand combat, there were car chases and foot pursuits that proved quite interesting.

If there were any "Movie Land" recreations of key sites, they had me fooled because all of the settings were detailed and extremely realistic. The action sequences were incredibly well choreographed and expertly performed which kept the adrenalin pumping. Nicholas Cage was superb as Benjamin Franklin Gates, all American modernday adventure hero. The supporting cast was well chosen because the subtle nuances of their acting served to accent one another's performances and added richness and texture to the storyline.

I highly recommend this film for any one of any age who loves action and adventure steeped in intrigue. It should also appeal to those for whom historical accuracy is crucial even in fiction. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a great afternoon of entertainment well worth the price of admission. Finally, a sequel that lives up to its predecessor! This movie rates a solid four stars.