1.5/4  Less Fun and Humor
Not as enjoyable as the first. Being more grown up than the general audience of the first one did not stop me from enjoying it, but it did on the second. This one seems more dumbed down (way down) for kids, which is ironic considering th... (read full)

1/4  The Movie with 1001 plot holes
Tedious, mind-numbing one-hundred minute orgy of special effects and absolutely no wit or laughs. A literal cinematic meltdown. I can't adequately describe how bad this movie was, nor can I imagine who it would appeal to. If you're a paren... (read full)

3/4  non sequitors aside not a bad movie
Overall this movie made me happy. No Mikey Rooney is always a good thing.
But seriously you do kinda need to watch the first one for this to make much sense.
To be honest, the last scene does seem a bit forced. What's with the girl in t... (read full)

5/5 Fun at the Smithsonian
  by D. J. Nardi (Washington, DC)
I had the unique pleasure of watching this movie in the Smithsonian's IMAX theater. Perhaps it was the surroundings, but I found myself enjoying the movie quite a bit. It's got a great mix of action, romance, and comedy for both kids and adults. It's the type of movie that I hope Hollywood makes more of - decent movies that the whole family can enjoy without any sexual undertones.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian builds upon the last movie, Night at the Museum, but adds a host of new characters, from a power-driven Egyptian pharaoh to General Custer. The acting was pretty good all around, particularly Amy Adams' Amelia Earhart, who really came off as the stereotype 1920s female heroine. I've never been crazy about Ben Stiller, but he's pretty good here and his presence doesn't drown out the rest of the cast.

Overall, this is more a kid's movie than an adult comedy, but adults will probably enjoy watching it with their kids.

P.S. - I loved the cameo with Oscar the Grouch and Darth Vader!

3/5 A Bit Long & Loud
  by Betty Burks (Knoxville, TN)
I went to see this followup of a really funny film precisely to see Lincoln move around. Up to that moment, we saw Teddy Roosevelt several times on his horse; that man was everywhere. Versatile Robin Williams was terrific in that part. Attila the Hun was interesting. George Custer was also interesting. The pharoah king had a lisp like Christine's. Does anyone know the key to happiness? The cache they were searching for on this particular night was in cartons at the museum in New York and not there at the Smithsonian building, but they would be stored underneath this D.C. mega divided up into lots of buildings. They turned up in the old brick one we all love to visit. Then, out to Lincoln's memorial and he stands up and turns around. That's worth the price of admission. Ben Stiller was great as in the first episode. He was funny as usual, more so than Robin Williams even. Great fun.

3/5 whimsical, silly and fun
  by Ara Kumjian (pasadena)
Don't really remember what the movie was about but some of the characters did stick out. One question i have is why does KahMunRah sound like Boris Karloff, was it because of the character he played as Imhotep? I suppose nobody knows what an Egyptian pharaoh sounds like, but why not take a crack at it? Also why does the Roman centurion speak with a British dialect instead of a Latin dialect? This is a good kids movie and I think adults can find it amusing and entertaining so long as you don't ask too many questions.

5/5 Cute And Fun - Perfect Family Entertainment
  by Karen Joan (Texas)
My 12 year old daughter and I really enjoyed watching NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN together. Like the original, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 is great family entertainment - no bad language, no blood, no sex, and no real violence. Just lots of fun, laughter, and a pleasant evening together.

In NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2, night guard Larry Daley has moved on and is getting rich selling his wacky inventions on television infomercials. But his heart isn't really in it; he isn't as happy as he thought would be. When Larry discovers that many of his beloved friends from the exhibits at the New York City Museum of Natural History are being shipped to permanent storage at the Smithsonian archives, he rushes to try to help them. But when the Egyptian tablet that brings his friends to life is accidentally sent along to the Smithsonian, Larry has a whole new set of problems on his hands. With every exhibit in the Smithsonian museums and the archives below coming to life, Larry must enlist the aid of a spunky Amelia Earhart, a vain and grandiose General George Custer, and a bouncy pack of Einstein bobble-heads to save the day, and make everything right.

In NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 is a laugh out loud funny movie, full of some very creative action sequences. The museum exhibits still come to life, but this time they include famous paintings that you can jump into (reminiscent of Mary Poppins), pop art sculptures that chase you around, all manner of aircraft (from the Wright Brothers' first plane to a launching Apollo space craft), the gifts from the gift shop, and even a gigantic Abraham Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial. Hank Azaria as the evil pharaoh and Amy Adams as a perky, independent Amelia Earhart are delightful additions to the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2 cast, and Robin Williams is as charming as always Teddy Roosevelt. The special effects are pretty cool, and the jokes and slapstick keep on coming.

Is the story predictable? Yes. Did we care? No! NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN is a great family summer film. It won't change your life, but it will help you forget your troubles for a few hours and have some fun with your loved ones. The entire family will grin, giggle, and out-right guffaw, with several good, old fashioned belly-laughs thrown in. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM 2: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN is an excellent way to spend a cozy popcorn evening together. And who knows, your kids might even learn a little history!


3/5 (2.5 STARS) No Better and No Worse Than the Original
  by Tsuyoshi (Kyoto, Japan)
Like every other big-budget Hollywood movie, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" boasts of special effects made possible by computer graphics. Also, like every other sequel that is actually unnecessary, everything in "Battle of the Smithsonian" should be bigger than before. It is not surprising that producers have changed the setting of the story, this time the Smithsonian Institute, the world's largest museum complex.

After three years from the original Ben Stiller's Larry Daley, formerly a night guard of American Museum of Natural History, is now a successful businessman. When the tablet of Ahmunrah has been shipped to the Smithsonian Institute, however, Larry has to disguise himself as a guard and infiltrate the place.

The rambling narrative is bad enough, but the real problem is the lazy direction (director is Shawn Levy, "The Pink Panther") and uninteresting characters. What could have been a very unique experience (considering the vast collections of the Smithsonian Institute), is reduced to a set of half-hearted jokes and romance involving Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams, totally wasted).

The actors do their best and some of them are really funny. With the cast that includes Hank Azaria, Bill Hader, Ricky Gervais, Christopher Guest, Steve Coogan, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson, it is hard to make an absolutely unfunny movie. Sadly "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" has become one, well, almost.