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Movies / On DVD / Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

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Reviews Counted:158

Fresh:69

Rotten:89

Average Rating:5.1/10

Consensus: Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian is busy enough to keep the kids interested but the slapstick goes overboard and the special effects (however well executed) throw the production into mania.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for mild action and brief language.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:20-05-2009

Synopsis: Shawn Levy (CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, JUST MARRIED) directs the sequel of his hit film NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. Night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), now a successful entrepreneur, returns to the Museum... Shawn Levy (CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, JUST MARRIED) directs the sequel of his hit film NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. Night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), now a successful entrepreneur, returns to the Museum of Natural History to visit his friends--the exhibits that come to life at night--only to learn that they are being shipped off into deep storage at the Smithsonian Institution. To make matters worse, the exhibits at the Smithsonian, including the pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), are suddenly coming to life--and they aren’t at all happy about their new visitors. Determined to save his friends, Larry rushes to Washington, D.C., and makes his way into the inner workings of the largest museum complex in the world while Kahmunrah recruits the likes of Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Napoleon (Alain Chabat), and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal). Larry, meanwhile, finds himself with spunky Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) as a co-conspirator and love interest, and General Custer (Bill Hader) leading the battle for the Smithsonian. The stakes are higher in this sequel, where even the paintings on the Smithsonian walls come to life at night. Stiller is his capable deadpan self as the now-successful Larry who finds purpose again while helping his friends, and Adams is spot-on as feisty, adventure-seeking Earhart, complete with period lingo. Azaria is a scene-stealer as Kahmunrah, who is menacing despite his lisp. Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Robin Williams, and Ricky Gervais also reprise their roles in this sequel, which is the first film to be shot at the Smithsonian. [More]

Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria

Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Robin Williams, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Bill Hader, Jon Bernthal

Director: Shawn Levy

Director: Shawn Levy
Screenwriter: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon
Producer: Shawn Levy, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

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101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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The sense of wonder the movie engenders is palpable, and anything that makes museums look cool (which this movie does, in spades) deserves a vote of thanks from civilization as a whole.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
05/22/09
Chris Kaltenbach
Chris Kaltenbach
Baltimore Sun

Imagine a hyper child running through the entire Smithsonian as fast as possible, screaming and waving his arms the entire way. He would probably be entertained, but would anyone around him?

Full Review Source: Movie Retriever | comment Comment
05/22/09
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
Movie Retriever

Kids should still get a kick out of this Museum, but adults may have a harder time finding something worth laughing at this time around.

Full Review Source: About.com | comment Comment
05/22/09
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

humor consisting of silly slapstick, people falling down and others making goofy faces, which is what 10-year olds love more than anything else.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
05/22/09
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

Parental Content Review

Full Review Source: Screen It! | comment Comment
05/22/09
Jim Judy
Jim Judy
Screen It!

The sequel is missing what made the first film so special; magic and mystery. The first flick is far superior.

Full Review Source: BDK Reviews | comment Comment
05/22/09
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy
BDK Reviews

Upstaging its predecessor with colorful new characters and energy the kids will love.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Spectrum | comment Comment
05/22/09
Jolene Mendez
Jolene Mendez
Entertainment Spectrum

The Toy Story-esque plot could be written on the femur of dormouse and some scenes still lean towards inanity. But, in the main, this is a funnier and more coherent slice of kids' entertainment.

Full Review Source: Time Out Sydney | comment Comment
05/22/09
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out Sydney
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like too many sequels, more money and fewer ideas has made for a disappointing film.

Full Review Source: MovieTime, ABC Radio National | comment Comment
05/22/09
Jason Di Rosso
Jason Di Rosso
MovieTime, ABC Radio National

An exhilarating, imaginative sequel filled with humor, excitement, wit and a lively cast. It's genuinely delightful and fun for everyone young and old.

Full Review Source: NYC Movie Guru | comment Comment
05/22/09
Avi Offer
Avi Offer
NYC Movie Guru

You know how it goes: the plot is inane, but a lot of the dialogue makes you laugh.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
05/21/09
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
Cinematical

Remains consistent with the all-powerful Amy Adams Rule, which holds that any movie featuring her is instantly, vastly improved because of it.

Full Review Source: Critic's Notebook | comment Comment
05/21/09
Robert Levin
Robert Levin
Critic's Notebook

It falls flat trying to muster up any mirth or suspense as it barrels from one set piece to the next.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
05/21/09
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine

What's hugely-talented Amy Adams doing in an imbecilic debacle like this?

Full Review Source: Tolucan Times | comment Comment
05/21/09
Tony Medley
Tony Medley
Tolucan Times

Amy Adams, spunky and incandescent as Amelia Earhart, is so fun to watch that she almost makes up for the dopeyness surrounding her.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
05/21/09
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

Whatever its flaws may be, it at least refuses to be a stiff, lifeless relic.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
05/21/09
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

The sweet spot between action and inspired silliness.

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
05/21/09
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet

It's not so much a movie as a series of running antiquity gags, good for a comedy club, not so much for the multiplex.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
05/21/09
Betsy Sharkey
Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Perhaps it should have been titled either Night at the Museum: We're Doing It for the Money or Night at the Museum: Contractually Obligated Sequel, instead.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
05/21/09
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Busy is not the same as clever.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
05/21/09
Robert W. Butler
Robert W. Butler
Kansas City Star
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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Latest News for Night at the Museum: Battle of the...

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May 21, 2009: Critics Consensus: Terminator, Night Are So-So Sequels
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