Ben Stiller wrestles with extinct beasts, historical figures, and meddling monkeys in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the sequel to the popular 2006 special-effects extravaganza. This time, the ancient Egyptian tablet (the one that brings all the exhibits at New York's Museum of Natural History to life at night) is being shipped off to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.--which, as the movie diligently tells us, is the largest museum in the world. Naturally, former museum guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) heads down to rescue it (and, by extension, keep his magical museum friends alive). He ends up fighting with a nasty pharaoh who talks like Boris Karloff (Hank Azaria, The Simpsons) and falling in love with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams, Enchanted). All the old gang are along for the ride, including Dexter the monkey; much face-slapping and special effects ensue. There aren't many surprises, but Battle of the Smithsonian is cheerful enough to entertain everyone who enjoyed the first movie. Extras include commentaries by the director and the writers, the usual self-congratulatory making-of featurette, deleted scenes that are actually as good as the rest of the movie, an alternate ending, and an entirely pointless second disc about Crystal, the capuchin monkey who plays Dexter (the monkey disc has less than a half-hour of material, including two mediocre games). The great supporting cast from the first movie returns, including Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Robin Williams. --Bret Fetzer
Stills from Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (Click for larger image) |
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Even Better than the First!
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| Review Date: August 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Charles Evans, North Carolina |
My wife and I enjoyed the original "Night at the Museum" we expected to the sequel to be typical of seconds... not quite as good. However, "Battle of the Smithsonian" bucks this trend - and in our opinion it is significantly better than the original. The plot is a bit silly - our favorite night-watchman had made it big as inventor of useless products. His new position as CEO means that he is no longer working at the museum. The museum has also undergone a few changes - namely most of the exhibits are being shipped into storage. The storage is below the Smithsonian... and that is where the action begins!
"Battle of the Museum" blends, action, humor and a numerous celebrity cameos into a fun-filled flick. The story introduces us to some Egyptian pharaoh (can't remember which one), Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon, Amelia Earhart , Abe Licoln, and miniature Einstein bobbleheads! The star of the story is the incredibly imaginative action sequences... the jumping in-and-out pictures, the banter of Abe Lincoln.... all of it light-hearted and very entertaining.
As far as the acting - Ben Stiller was .... Ben Stiller - you either love him or you hate him. We really did enjoy Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart - she seems to have nailed the accent, look and walk - plus she was very funny!
Final Verdict - Recommended for everyone (This is a very kid friendly movie) but it highly recommended for everyone who enjoyed the original.
5 Stars |
More of the Same? Yes, but well done
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| Review Date: May 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: A. Vander Meulen, Boston, MA USA |
Most sequels either fail miserably at trying to "top" the original ("Miss Congeniality 2" springs to mind), or succeed beyond all expectations ("Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan" is a good example).
"Night at the Museum 2, The Battle of the Smithsonian" hits neither of these extremes: it has no pretensions about being a great film. It seems the writers and producers just wanted to make a film that their audience would enjoy, and they succeeded. Certainly, the original film was better and more original in many respects, and there is lots of continuity with the first film, as many of the characters have returned. There are also some notable additions to the cast, such as Amy Adams - who is superb as Amelia Earhart (as many of my fellow reviewers here have noted).
Yet, the scene stealer in the film though is not Ms. Adams, but Hank Azaria, who plays the Egyptian Pharaoh Kahmunrah: the evil and inept older brother of Ahkmenrah (the Pharaoh from the original film). Azaria's Karloff-esque character is really well done. One of the best scenes in the film is when Kahmunrah and Ben Stiller's character (Larry Daley) argue over the fate of Jedidiah (played by Owen Wilson). I heard a rising tide of belly laughs all around me as this scene progressed: a salute to the old time vaudeville comedic dialog routines, played to near perfection by two excellent actors. Laurel and Hardy would have been proud!
Kudos to the Smithsonian for the unprecedented access and support they provided to the producers of this film. I've visited the Washington Mall and Smithsonian Museums many times, and it was great to see them on the big screen, and great fun seeing the havoc and mayhem that special effects allowed the film's characters to inflict upon our national treasures.
I like this film because it is honest with itself and its audience, and consistently delivers laughs and smiles. Is it a great film? No. Is it funny? Definitely. Is it a great way to spend a couple of hours with your better half, or the kids? Absolutely. For that reason I'll give it Four Stars: enjoy! |
Clean for Kids, Enjoyable for Whole Family
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| Review Date: June 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Michele, Northeast Ohio |
| Finally, a movie all ages can enjoy. And please take note, Hollywood -- yes, it can be done without swearing, sex or violence. Clever dialog, great acting and effects. We're all waiting for it to come out on video. We would even have taken the kids to see it again if the theater experience wasn't so expensive. One of the only criticisms is that we would have liked to have seen more of Robin Williams character. Rest assured, this is one movie that won't leave you jimmy-jacked! |
Night at the Museum/Smithsonian
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| Review Date: July 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Annabella, Tempe, AZ, USA |
| Although a sequel to the hysterical original; "Night at the Museum", "The Battle of the Smithsonian" still has surprises in store for you. The original is Stiller's timeless comedic qualities at his best and to compare the first and second isn't quite fair. We are looking at some great computer animation as well as the funny characters; new and old. Azaria is hilarious and probably had the crew laughing like crazy in between takes. I sat in a packed theater and there was never a silent moment; always laughter on a scale of 1-10, it was consistent at 5 and raised the bar to 10 on many occasions. Stiller and his buddies aren't going to see Oscar's for this movie but it is a light hearted, funny movie with the old characters mix it up with the old. I'm most defintely going to buy it at it's release. Good Family entertainment with some history inside, is hard to come by. Good Job! |
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