In order to clear the name of his ancestor, Ben Gate must solve a series of puzzles to find a hidden city of gold in America. Ben Gates is a historian and adventurer, the great-great-grandson of Thomas Gates, a hero who sacrificed his life to prevent John Wilkes Booth from finding a rumored city of gold. However, when a black market dealer named Wilkinson comes forward with a page from Booth's diary that seems to implicate Thomas in helping Booth assassinate the president, Ben decides to take action in clearing his ancestor's name. They follow a set of clues found on the diary page that lead them to two ancient desks, which provided further hints regarding the location of this city of gold. Unfortunately, these hints are impossible to decode without the Book of Secrets, a book passed down from President to President but for his eyes only. This forces Ben to set out to do an insane task: kidnap the President. With the help of his ex-girlfriend Abigail Chase and his computer whiz friend Riley Poole, they successfully lure the President away and kidnap him, and, after being convinced that this is a good cause, the President reveals where the Book of Secrets is located in the Library of Congress. They use the book to determine that the city of gold is located underneath Mount Rushmore... however, when Wilkinson shows up holding Ben's mom hostage, they must not only find the city, but protect it from Wilkinson and save Ben's mom in the process.
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Best part of story, including ending:
This is a fun upbeat adventure story, with lots of silly plot twists, broad acting, and big special effects. It's the perfect film for young boys to dig their teeth into.
Best scene in story:
The traps leading to the city of gold include a huge platform teetering back and forth, and it seems impossible to get past, leading to the best action of the film.
Opinion about the main character:
Nicolas Cage is perfect for a character like Gates-- hopelessly curious and bold beyond belief. He strikes the tone for this type of film perfectly.
