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)

4/5 movie
  by Franca Sperling-jacox (Vancouver, WA USA)
I loved the movie. It was just as good as it was the first time. I do not care for Ben Stiller but he did a pretty good job in this movie.

5/5 My kids and I loved this movie
  by O'rourke Dana Lindsey (Pacific Grove, Ca. United States)
My kids are 7 and 11 years old and they loved the Night at the Museum movies! They are light and silly without all the violence.

1/5 Where do we put Custer?
  by Francisco J. Calderon (Mexico City, Mexico)
Back in the sixties when I grew up, Custer was a hero; he even had his own TV show. Then, after "Little Big Man", he became a villain. Now he's in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM II making a comeback. What cliché should we pin on him: good guy or bad guy? Well, since he can't no longer be remembered as a good guy, and we can't just quite put an American in uniform among the bad guys, let's just say that "Battle of the Smithsonian" is his last stand to make amends and do good in the end.

Sounds stupid? It is. Unfortunately, that's the criteria behind the movie. To each character a label: spunky Amelia Earhart is a good gal because she was a woman who flew planes. The Tuskegee airmen are good guys because they were black (and flew planes). Einstein was smart, so he must know how to decipher an Egyptian riddle. Lincoln is a good guy because he has a big statue. Ivan the Terrible? bad guy, of course -why waste such a nickname! Napoleon must be "despicable" too, since he was a warmongering imperialist little runt. Actually, the same can be said of Teddy Roosevelt, only he belongs with the good guys. Why? Because!

Yeah; I know. No harm done; mere brain candy entertainment. Yet, these movies are made to promote the museums depicted; for kids to flock to them and learn a thing or two. Why learn at all, mind you, if all you need to know you can pick up watching predictable movies made by guys contented with politically-correct platitudes, prejudice, urban legends, stereotypes ...along with their hard-earned fat Hollywood contracts? Hey! You liked Ben Stiller being slapped by a monkey in the first movie? Here he's slapped by TWO monkeys! Enjoy!

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P.S.: What Abraham Lincoln meant with "A house divided against itself cannot stand" (a quotation from Christ, by the way), was not "Divide And Conquer" but "Divided We Fall"; a rather different notion. Alas, that didn't deter the screenwriter. After cowboys befriending Romans, why should it?

5/5 Even Better than the First!
  by Charles Evans (North Carolina)
My wife and I enjoyed the original "Night at the Museum" we expected to the sequel to be typical of seconds... not quite as good. However, "Battle of the Smithsonian" bucks this trend - and in our opinion it is significantly better than the original. The plot is a bit silly - our favorite night-watchman had made it big as inventor of useless products. His new position as CEO means that he is no longer working at the museum. The museum has also undergone a few changes - namely most of the exhibits are being shipped into storage. The storage is below the Smithsonian... and that is where the action begins!

"Battle of the Museum" blends, action, humor and a numerous celebrity cameos into a fun-filled flick. The story introduces us to some Egyptian pharaoh (can't remember which one), Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon, Amelia Earhart , Abe Licoln, and miniature Einstein bobbleheads! The star of the story is the incredibly imaginative action sequences... the jumping in-and-out pictures, the banter of Abe Lincoln.... all of it light-hearted and very entertaining.

As far as the acting - Ben Stiller was .... Ben Stiller - you either love him or you hate him. We really did enjoy Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart - she seems to have nailed the accent, look and walk - plus she was very funny!

Final Verdict - Recommended for everyone (This is a very kid friendly movie) but it highly recommended for everyone who enjoyed the original.

5 Stars