National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

All Critics (136) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (82) | DVD (24)

This just might be the silliest movie ever to feature three Academy Award winners.

December 26, 2007

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Top Critic

Leave it to coproducer Jerry Bruckheimer to revive the Indiana Jones cycle without the period setting, the camp elements, or Spielberg's efficiency; director Jon Turteltaub just plods along.

December 26, 2007 Full Review | Comment (1)

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

This sequel is what you would expect: If you liked the original, you'll probably enjoy this retread. But be warned: It bogs down in a drawn-out scene near the end.

December 21, 2007 Full Review

Claudia Puig

USA Today

Top Critic

As much as you want to applaud the movie's winking commitment to its own Looney Tunes logic, it's frustrating when lazy and illogical plot devices are used like cattle prods.

December 21, 2007 Full Review | Comment (1)

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Top Critic

The movie's convoluted hide-and-seek plot also demands a White House break-in that makes about as much sense as subprime mortgage rates.

December 21, 2007 Full Review

Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

Top Critic

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a pretty typical blockbuster sequel, focused intently on appeasing what it thinks the audience wants, and missing out on what it takes to make a truly good movie.

April 20, 2011 Full Review

Joshua Starnes

ComingSoon.net

National Treasure: the Book of Secrets is an absurd adventure, but its absurdity is wacky and warmhearted. You have to suspend your disbelief, but so what? National Treasure: the Book of Secrets delivers on what it sets out to be: lively and

February 2, 2009 Full Review

Tony Macklin

Fayetteville Free Weekly

The derivative National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a smooth, lightweight action film for undemanding audiences.

July 23, 2008 Full Review

Tim Grierson

Screen International

A slight improvement over its agreeable forebearer...

June 18, 2008 Full Review | Comment (1)

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

It's like doing a puzzle a second time. It's familiar, it's redundant and it's rarely exciting.

June 9, 2008 Full Review | Comments (6)

Ryan Cracknell

Movie Views

If you can set aside the movie's countless flaws and just go to watch a stupid mindless movie, then you are good to go with this film.

June 1, 2008 Full Review

Kevin McCarthy

WJFK-FM (CBS Radio)

Unfortunately, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" falls under the category of been there, done that.

May 20, 2008 Full Review

Adam Tobias

Watertown Daily Times

Absurd second installment in the Indiana Jones-for-idiots franchise...

May 20, 2008 Full Review | Comments (2)

John Beifuss

Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Over-stimulating brain bubblegum guaranteed to take kids under ten straight to adrenaline heaven!

May 16, 2008 Full Review

Kam Williams

NewsBlaze

Too bad such a stellar combo cast had to get dumbed down for such inconsequential pandemonium.

May 15, 2008 Full Review

Prairie Miller

NewsBlaze

Even sillier and less entertaining than the first film in this series.

March 26, 2008 Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

If you desperately need to escape the house this holiday season, avoid this treasure and see something else.

March 4, 2008 Full Review | Comment (1)

Jeff Bayer

The Scorecard Review

Ultimately, Book of Secretsis an embarrassingly by-the-numbers rehash of the first National Treasure, lighter on the swirly, emotion-cuing music but still well-trafficked in ridiculous feats and worse dialogue.

February 29, 2008 Full Review

Tricia Olszewski

Washington City Paper

The first installment was a moronic, overblown scavenger hunt masquerading as a high concept social studies lesson. The sequel is bigger, louder and, implausible as it is to believe, even more preposterous.

February 28, 2008 Full Review

Brandon Fibbs

BrandonFibbs.com

Keeps us entertained with the sheer spectacle of the thing, rather than anything actually interesting.

February 11, 2008 Full Review

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

This movie isn't much different from the original "National Treasure."

February 9, 2008 Full Review

Linda Cook

Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

The gimmicks have worn off and the performances have gone stale in this uninspired sequel to a surprisingly fun adventure film.

February 2, 2008 Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Less twisty than its 2004 predecessor and yet somehow more incoherent, National Treasure: Book of Secrets plays like a duplicate schematic of the first.

February 1, 2008 Full Review

Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Uma diversão esquecível; algo que você consome, digere e elimina sem conseguir se lembrar posteriormente do que passou por sua garganta.

January 25, 2008 Full Review

Pablo Villaca

Cinema em Cena

Just like the original, it's too caught up in its mythological zeal and furious pacing to do much for our "Indiana" jones. A capably filmed diversion that's breathlessly wired for whiplash but instantly forgettable.

January 21, 2008 Full Review

Nick Rogers

State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL)

• 1. Ben Gates: You are the President of the United States, sir. Whether by innate character, the oath you took to defend the Constitution, or the weight of history that falls upon you, I believe you to be an honorable man, sir.
  2. The President: Gates, people don't believe that stuff anymore.
  3. Ben Gates: They want to believe it.
  – Submitted by Lance R (6 months ago)
• 1. Ben Gates: Wait a minute, we need water. Everybody! The water makes the rocks darker!
  – Submitted by Emelyn W (6 months ago)
• 1. Ben Gates: How absurd.
  – Submitted by Zach S (9 months ago)
• 1. Abigail Chase: So, the tea tables?
  2. Ben Gates: Yes, I was going to have the movers bring them to you next week.
  3. Abigail Chase: Actually, I was going to say you could keep them. And maybe you could come and move back in with me?
  4. Ben Gates: No, you used the word 'so.'
  5. Abigail Chase: So?
  6. Ben Gates: So when you say 'so' it means you're angry.
  7. Abigail Chase: Sometimes. And then sometimes it doesn't. It's sort of like a puzzle. And you're so good at puzzles I'm sure you'll figure it out. So. [they kiss]
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)
• 1. Ben Gates: Someone else is after the treasure.
  2. Riley Poole: Of course someone else is after the treasure. It's the axiom of treasure hunting.
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)
• 1. Riley Poole: Look at it this way - in a hundred years, no one is gonna remember anyone involved in the Lincoln assassination besides Booth.
  2. Ben Gates: That's not true. Do you know the expression 'his name is mud?'
  3. Riley Poole: Yes, of course.
  4. Ben Gates: You do? Do you know the origin of the expression?
  5. Riley Poole: Does anyone but you?
  6. Ben Gates: Dr. Samuel Mudd was convicted of being a co-conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. The evidence was circumstantial, he was later pardoned, but it didn't matter. Mudd's name still lives in infamy, and I will 'not' let Thomas Gates' name be mud.
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)