The second edition of the Night at the Museum franchise, Battle of the Smithsonian has all of the great laughs and adventures of the first film plus plenty of surprises along the way. Call it a children's movie if you must, but really it's a great comedy that people of all ages will enjoy watching, particularly if you are a big Ben Stiller fan.
Of course the first movie took place in New York, but this one as the title implies takes place at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. While Ben Stiller's character in the first movie was a reluctant participant in the craziness, this time he's out to save the day, because the Smithsonian is going to lock away the ancient artifact that makes it possible for all of those historical characters to come to life.
The bottom line is that this is one of those movies that's just hard not to live. Since you expect some of the craziness, it's much different from the first film, but there is still plenty of action, laughs and surprises along the way. A great movie to pick up to watch with your kids, or even to entertain yourself or a date. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is one of the best comedy and children DVDs of 2009 and you'll love the special features and bonuses as well.
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
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