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.
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
Reviews for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
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?
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.
humor consisting of silly slapstick, people falling down and others making goofy faces, which is what 10-year olds love more than anything else.
The sequel is missing what made the first film so special; magic and mystery. The first flick is far superior.
Upstaging its predecessor with colorful new characters and energy the kids will love.
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.
Like too many sequels, more money and fewer ideas has made for a disappointing film.
An exhilarating, imaginative sequel filled with humor, excitement, wit and a lively cast. It's genuinely delightful and fun for everyone young and old.
You know how it goes: the plot is inane, but a lot of the dialogue makes you laugh.
Remains consistent with the all-powerful Amy Adams Rule, which holds that any movie featuring her is instantly, vastly improved because of it.
It falls flat trying to muster up any mirth or suspense as it barrels from one set piece to the next.
What's hugely-talented Amy Adams doing in an imbecilic debacle like this?
Amy Adams, spunky and incandescent as Amelia Earhart, is so fun to watch that she almost makes up for the dopeyness surrounding her.
Whatever its flaws may be, it at least refuses to be a stiff, lifeless relic.
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.
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.
Latest News for Night at the Museum: Battle of the...
May 26, 2009:
Tune In to the Rotten Tomatoes Show This Week!
This week, The Rotten Tomatoes Show will be looking at the movies that opened over the weekend, with help from you (the Rotten Tomatoes community), the Current TV community, and... More...
May 25, 2009:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Museum Terminates Salvation
Fox won the holiday battle of the sequels as the adventure comedy Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian debuted at number one over the long Memorial Day frame easily... More...
May 22, 2009:
Review Terminator Salvation, Night at the Museum 2, and Dance Flick on TV!
Did you miss last night's episode of the Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV? Watch it online here for slam-bang reviews of last weekend's Angels & Demons, The Brothers Bloom,... More...
May 21, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Terminator, Night Are So-So Sequels
This week at the movies, we've got deadly machines (Terminator Salvation, starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington); historical hysterics (Night at the Museum: Battle of the... More...
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