Rating:

As much as I hate to admit it, Night at the Museum was a good movie. I remember thinking it looked interesting, but I’d have to wait and see it on DVD. Our son, at the time, was scared of the T-Rex skeleton—and remained scared until well after the DVD release.

When we finally sat down to watch it, I discovered an engaging movie that played on childhood fantasies of toys and inanimate objects springing to life. The top-notch effects and Larry Daley (the excellent Ben Stiller) going through the learning process of the ins and outs of the museum at night,  made for a fun and family friendly film.

After earning more than $500 million worldwide, a sequel was a done deal. The title Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian seemed like a dream come true. A bigger museum meant more and more artifacts to bring to life. Although it sounds good on paper, the execution lacks much of the charm of the original and sadly, the promise of the Smithsonian isn’t fully realized.

The sequel sees Larry as a successful entrepreneur, now worth millions. Despite his success, he seems unhappy and relishes the task of traveling to the Smithsonian when the exhibits from the American Museum of Natural History are sent to there for storage after the smaller museum falls upon hard times.

Of course the Ankmenrah tablet that brings exhibits to life is sent to the Smithsonian, which revives the Egyptian ruler, Kahmunrah—hilariously brought to life by Hank Azaria. Wanting to open the a gate and unleash his army of other-worldly soldiers, Kahmunrah enlists the help of Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabot) and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal).

Despite the new setting, only a few objects are fully realized. The disappointing Albert Einstein bobbleheads and the giant Lincoln Memorial. With the exception of Amelia Earhart (the wonderful Amy Adams), none of the additions have half the charm or interest of anything from the first film.

The other problem I had with the film is the blatant pandering toward the younger audience. If your kids thought the one monkey from the first film was funny, wait until they see the multiple monkeys in this film. There are many more examples of moments like this. By aiming at the kids, the film loses some of the charm that made the first one so entertaining.

While the film isn’t perfect, there are plenty of extras to keep you entertained as well.

The 2-disc set comes with 2 commentary tracks. The first is with director Shawn Levy and it quickly becomes tiresome. He wants to talk-up the film too much. It’s self-congratulatory and not the least bit informative. Skip it and listen to the commentary featuring writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. The two have a great conversational tone and reveal some nice behind the scenes moments.

The Curators of Comedy: Behind-the-Scenes of Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian is a short 20-minute studio featurette. Nothing more than promotional interviews with the cast and crew.

The second disc is for the kids. It features 3 shorts–about the capuchin monkeys in the film–that equal 18-minutes of content. Monkey Business and Primate Prima Donnas talks about making the movie with monkeys. The Secret Life of a Monkey Movie Star: Life Off Camera shows what the simian starts do when not filming. There’s also a Monkey Slap DVD-ROM game—which I did not try—and Able & Dexter’s Flights of Fancy activity.

Overall, Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian is a weaker film than the original. However, it’s still worth seeing. Stiller does a great job as Larry Daley, a much more competent hero this time around. Also, Amy Adams practically steals the show in every one of her scenes. The kids will likely love this one more than the first, since it’s aimed directly at them this time around.