JUSTINE Bartha was still something of a newcomer to the movies when he was cast as computer geek Riley Poole, the out-of-his-depth accomplice of Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), in the 2004 blockbuster "National Treasure." Bartha nonetheless gave a very funny, scene-stealing performance, thanks to some cleverly off-kilter line readings, an easy way with the script’s technical jargon and the occasional, quizzical lift of an eyebrow.

Now, the boyish-looking actor, who also starred in the romantic hit "Failure to Launch" with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey, reunites with Cage and producer Jerry Bruckheimer in Walt Disney Pictures’ new action adventure "National Treasure: Book of Secrets."

In the film, Ben Gates once again sets out on an exhilarating, action-packed new global quest to unearth hidden history and treasures. When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben’s great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death. Determined to prove his ancestor’s innocence, Ben follows an international chain of clues that takes him on a chase from Paris to London and ultimately back to America. This journey leads Ben and his crew not only to surprising revelations – but to the trail of the world’s most treasured secrets.

"I think people really gravitated to ‘National Treasure’ once they met the characters, who are personable and compelling," explains Bartha. "In the first film, Ben and Riley were kind of forced to work together, and didn’t get along all the time. Yet, there was an odd chemistry between the two of them. Riley isn’t good at things that Ben is good at, and Ben isn’t good at things that Riley is good at. The central theme of ‘Book of Secrets’ is family, and these two guys really need each other."

In the first film, Riley was decidedly a somewhat scruffy soul, in need of a shave and a decent haircut. In "Book of Secrets," he’s more polished. "Yeah, that’s what a few million dollars does to a guy," smiles Bartha. "My idea was that after finding the Templar Treasure, Riley spent most of his money on clothes. He got a bit of a makeover, but since he spent a lot of cash, made some bad investments, and had a run-in with the tax department, he kind of transforms back into the guy we originally met in the first movie."

Asked if Riley gets the girl this time, Bartha laughs, "I’m not sure that’s on the cards. But there’s something very physical about Riley, he’s sort of Buster Keaton, which is fun to play with. I also like playing a character the audience knows and likes."

Opening soon, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.