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Back in 2006, director Shawn Levy’s wild and wacky Night at the Museum took holiday box offices by storm—so it was only a matter of time before the sun would once again set on Ben Stiller and his historical friends. Fortunately, though, the sequel is just as wild—and not nearly as wacky—as the original.
Now the rich and successful CEO of Daley Devices, former night watchman Larry Daley (Stiller) still returns to the Museum of Natural History from time to time to visit his old friends—not his former co-workers but the museum’s exhibits, who come to life once the sun goes down.
One night, though, Larry discovers that all that is about to end. In order to make way for new high-tech upgrades, the museum is putting moving many of the old exhibits to the Federal Archives at the Smithsonian. Without Akhmenrah’s tablet to bring them to life at night, they’ll be gone for good.
While Larry tries to keep his friends out of cold storage, Dexter the monkey takes matters into his own hands, stealing the tablet and bringing it with him to the Smithsonian. Now, not only is the world’s largest museum coming to life at night, but Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) is plotting to steal the tablet and use it for all kinds of evil. And it’s up to Larry—and Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams)—to save the day…er, night.
Like 2006’s Night at the Museum, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a fast and family-friendly comedy, filled with action, adventure, and random encounters with historical figures (as well as various works of art). This time around, though, it’s bigger and better than before. The sets are more expansive, the effects are more impressive, and the cast includes roughly two-thirds of Hollywood.
Fortunately, the pacing is better, too. Since most of the story takes place during just one night, it doesn’t feel like an endless cycle of the same old thing. Instead, there’s something new around every corner—a new character, a new work of art, a new adventure. Some of it works and some of it doesn’t (and it still has a tendency to go just a bit too far)—but although the story isn’t particularly solid, Smithsonian offers so many entertaining distractions that you’ll hardly notice (and kids…well, they just won’t care).
Best of all, though, is the cast. Many of the old favorites from the first movie (like Owen Wilson’s Jed and Steve Coogan’s Octavius) are back—and they’re joined by a bunch of new cameos, featuring everyone from Craig Robinson to the Jonas Brothers. Each one brings a bit of fun to the film, but it’s Amy Adams who almost single-handedly makes it worth watching. Her Amelia Earhart is smart and spunky (and she’s significantly more lovable than Hillary Swank’s version). She says a whole bunch of things that make absolutely no sense—but she says them with confidence…with moxie. She gives the movie a sense of wonder and excitement that the first film just didn’t have—and, as a result, Smithsonian isn’t as…insane…as its predecessor. Even Stiller manages to tone down his usually over-the-top wackiness to something more subdued and easily palatable.
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian may not be the smartest family film of the year, but it’s still a whole lot of fun—and, this time, it’s actually fun for the whole family.
DVD Review:
The two-disc Monkey Mischief Pack DVD release of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian features all kinds of monkey-slapping wackiness—so if you like that sort of thing, you’ll definitely enjoy the discs’ special features.
The main disc includes two commentaries and six deleted scenes (including an alternate ending), along with some trailers and other old standbys. The Jonas Brothers go to Cherub Boot Camp in one odd little feature (which only fans will need to watch), and Hank Azaria explores the many voices of Kahmunrah in the amusing Phinding Pharaoh. There’s also a 20-minute making-of feature, which tours the film’s gigantic sets and follows the cast members as they try to make Ben Stiller laugh. The disc’s most entertaining feature, however, is the short gag reel—mostly because Ricky Gervais’s giggle is absolutely infectious.
The set also comes with a second, monkey-centric disc, featuring two games (one of which is DVD-ROM-only) and three short features, starring Crystal the capuchin monkey. If you have time for just one feature, be sure to check out the final one, for a day in the life of Crystal and her young protégé, Squirt. With only a few short features, though, this second disc isn’t really necessary—so, unless you’re really got a thing for monkeys, pick up the single-disc version (or, better yet, the three-disc Blu-ray/DVD edition) instead.
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