What’s the best way to describe Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian? Well, other than the fact that it’s the sequel to the 2007 film Night at the Museum, it’s a fun, often quite funny, and action-filled romp through America’s largest museum complex.
Ben Stiller is back as Larry Daley, now an industrious inventor, who returns to the Natural History Museum he once worked at only to discover his “friends” are being boxed up and shipped out to storage at the Smithsonian. Larry’s plan: to figure out a way to get all the exhibits, figures, and other items back at any cost.
What results is, in my opinion, a lot of fun and zany antics between Larry and the dozens of characters he encounters at the Smithsonian. Hank Azaria and Amy Adams bring new life to the series as Kahmunrah and Amelia Earhart, respectively. Since it is a sequel, look for bigger action sequences, more special effects, and a slew of cameos that range from Jonah Hill to Christopher Guest.
There’s a lot here for both parents and kids to enjoy, and it’s definitely safe for the whole family to watch. If you haven’t seen the first movie, it’s okay. It’s pretty easy to get the gist of what took place in the first film in the first ten minutes of this one.
However, if you did see the first one, you’ll definitely want to check out Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. It’s a lot of good-natured fun with plenty of fast-paced action and laughs.
Special features include:
Commentary by Director Shawn Levy
Commentary by Writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
The Curators of Comedy
Go behind-the-scenes of the making of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Phinding Pharaoh
How did Hank Azaria decide on the voice he uses as Kahmunrah? This featurette looks at the evolution of that very issue.
The Jonas Brothers in Cherub Boot Camp
A tongue-in-cheek featurette about the grueling work director Shawn Levy put the Jonas Brothers through in order to make them cherubs in the film.
For loads of comedy and fun, check out Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. It’s worth a look.