Product Details

• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001PR0Y44

Product Description

Amazon.com

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)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More of the Same? Yes, but well done, May 28, 2009

By	A. Vander Meulen "Omnivorous reader" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clean for Kids, Enjoyable for Whole Family, June 8, 2009

By	Michele (Northeast Ohio) - See all my reviews

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!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Battle of the brains, June 9, 2009

By	Steven D. Smith (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I think that this is a movie that not only children will enjoy, but adults who have a knowledge of history and catch an inside joke. After standing in line for an hour with 3 children who wanted to see this compared to Up by Pixar, and sitting in the front row, the movie itself was an enjoyment. My kids now know about Amelia Earhart, Amy Adams, and Abe Lincoln a little more. Instead of sitting in a classroom being bored, and learning PI and the first woman to fly over the Atlantic, they actually got to have a laugh......yes it is a sequal, so we all know that they are not normally as good as the original, but I personally feel it is the amount of knowledge you are looking for, and if you can read between the lines. Obviously from other blogs, some adults want the joke to just be out there and stand out, not something that is always going to happen on a G movie.....