112: National Treasure: Book of Secrets with Emma Stefansky

Phil and Emily are joined by writer Emma Stefansky for Jon Turteltaub's National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). Nicolas Cage's Ben Gates kidnaps the President (Bruce Greenwood) and chases a hidden city of gold to clear his great-great-grandfather's name in the Lincoln assassination. Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Ed Harris, and a scene-stealing Helen Mirren carry her Queen Best Actress Oscar straight into big, dumb, wonderful blockbuster hokum.

The three dig into the Nic Cage escalation from the first film, the franchise's cheerfully unhinged relationship with American history, and why this brand of mid-budget, all-ages adventure has basically vanished from theaters. There's a real case here for reading Book of Secrets as the last gasp of the pre-Marvel four-quadrant treasure hunt. Silly, sturdy, and weirdly comforting same as the movie.

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