"I had a lot of trouble really liking this film. I really did love the first one and thought the story was clever and very interesting. This one has a pretty bad story line. Plus they changed some of the characters around a bit. First, what ever happened to the character Rebecca Hutman? She disappeared. They never even said in this film what happened to her. Then Ben Stiller becomes a kung fu expert with a flashlight. Also in the first film Ricky Gervais was really funny because he couldn't finish his sentences, but in this film he was just normal. The only thing that kept me watching the film was all the new characters. The writers still new how to write those parts. I really enjoyed a scene when Stiller went into the art section of the museum and all the pictures had came to life. It was strange though because they really touched base on most of the new characters, but really didn't show much of the older characters that we learned to love in the first film. This could of been written a lot better in my eyes."

"Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a man who discovers the Museum of Natural History is remodeling and its old exhibits are being replaced including the friends of Daley that come to life. Larry has faked his resume as a security guard to save his buddies before they get put into storage for good.

There is not one bad performance in this film. Stiller is better than he was in the first "Night at the Museum" and Amy Adams plays Amelia Earhart with fun energy. Bill Hader also does some funny work here as General Custer. But Hank Azaria is the one that outshines the rest of the cast as he plays Kah Mun Rah. His comedic timing is perfect and his humor works in every scene. He has memorable lines, not because of the way they're written but because Azaria says them with such a hilarious voice.

Of course, the plot is very realistic and the charecters are historically accurate, NOT! The film has some of the basic events that the characters have done but lets face it, there's so many random characters that come into play that the film just becomes silly by the end. The movie has everybody from Teddy Roosevelt to Al Capone to Darth Vader.

This is in no way a bad film. The special-effects are good and the chemistry between Stiller and Adams works. You shouldn't necessarily skip this movie but more so rent it when it comes out on DVD. "

"This was a comedy without humor or laughter. The story might have been even worse. To think this movie is funny you must be under 6 years old or smoking something of high quality. Abraham Lincoln's statue smaking around egyptian warriors and people jumping into pictures on the wall is not funny it's just stupid. By far one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Do NOT waste your time or money. On a personal note, I have just watched my last Ben Stiller movie. Besides his terrible acting he had become consistantly bad."

"Review:

Battle of the Smithsonian is the sequel to the incredibly lucrative Night at the Museum, released in 2006. This movie picks up a few years after the first finished, and now Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is the creator of his own infomercial inventions company, home to items such as a glow in the dark flashlight. After discovering that his old museum is being absorbed by the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, Larry abandons his hectic schedule to answer a distress call from Jedediah Smith (Owen Wilson), which is one of the exhibits that have come to life. Jed and his crew are in possession of the Tablet of Akmenrah, an artifact integral to Kah Mun Rah’s (Hank Azaria) evil plot to take over the world. This relic becomes the center of battle, as both sides attempt to secure it.

Ben Stiller’s satisfactory performance is greatly overshadowed by Hank Azaria’s adept portrayal of a flamboyant Egyptian monarch hell-bent on global dominance; Amy Adams’ role of the adventurous, precocious Amelia Earhart is also superb. Several other actors have noteworthy performances as well, including Owen Wilson, Bill Hader as General Custer, and Christopher Guest as Ivan the Terrible.

Despite its remarkable special effects, a predictable storyline and ordinary comedy amass to a movie that seems to please only children, not the entire family. But for its genre, Battle of the Smithsonian most certainly delivers with a pure PG rating and sparkling clean humor that is perfectly fit for younger audiences. These factors, plus the inherent celebration of museums and history, make for a movie that is certainly worthy of a parent’s approval.

Night at the Museum – Battle of the Smithsonian opened in theaters nationwide on May 22, grossing nearly $54 million on its first weekend. It is now playing in theaters across the country. "

"This movie is a prime example how Hollywood tries to cash in on something. Make a sequel that is really a remake, and have a lot less script substance and more effects. While the first "Museum" was dumb,silly fun, this one is just dumb. I really like Ben Stiller and his films, but as Owen Wilson might say, this one really blows. What a disappointment."

"As a lover of the 1st movie, this one had a lot to live up to. From the very begining we are reintroduced to our old favorites and then w/in about 20 minutes we are introduced to a brand new flock of favorites. All your favorite bad guys are working together as our heros ban together to keep the magical tablet from falling into the wrong hands. Unlike the 1st Night at the Museum, there are historical figures thrown at us left and right. Not to mention the art museum which even has the famous 'American Gothic' coming to life. As for little kids, they can say their favorite lines from the trailer as well as learn a little.... little history. Its more fun than the 1st to say the least. Everyone did a wonderful job acting, even though i did notice that Hank Azaria, the egyptian bad guy, did the voice of Abe Lincoln and The Thinker, but hey if he can do it i gues why outsource. I had lots of fun. Ben Stiller did a wonderful job of running around, trying to be the bumbling hero with the help of spunky Ameila Earheart. She does the whole 'have fun and live for the moment' thing very well. "

"The sequel to the rowdy and chaotic Night At The Museum is good fun… if you haven’t seen the first movie. Starring Ben Stiller, who reprises his role as… well, he doesn’t exactly reprise his role at the start of the movie as a night guard, but he becomes one again later on anyway.

You see, between the first film and the sequel, Larry has made it as a big-shot product inventor. He only becomes a night guard of the museum again after the exhibits convince him that he isn’t happy being a rich guy, that he subconsciously misses them, etc. Oh, and what a perfect time to return too, because the museum’s getting rid of a number of wax figurines, upgrading its exhibits with animated holograms and such. It’s actually something to be sad about, because almost everyone is going to be stored underground at the Smithsonian Institution. Permanently. I figure this is the closest the wax figurines can come to dying.

So Larry goes off on a rescue mission – only to find out that Slappy (you know, the monkey) has, in his playfulness, stolen the magic Egyptian plague, and taken it along with him to the Smithsonian Institution. Before you know it, the largest museum in the world has come to life, from Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) to evil (read: goofy) Pharaoh Kahmunrah. There are cute Albert Einsteins, a brief Darth Vader appearance, and old exhibits like the aforementioned monkey and Theodore Roosevelt too.

In fact, there are so many characters featured that it’s hard to grow attached to any one of them. This is supposed to be fun, but we’ve got to care about the characters too, yes? In the passing blur of famous people, the only exception here is Amelia Earhart, who becomes Larry’s obligatory love interest. Unfortunately for the Octavius (Steve Coogan) and Jedediah (Owen Wilson) fans, they don’t do much here except repeat what they did in the first movie (they also don’t get enough screen time!).

Saturated with lazier writing and repeated jokes, Night At The Museum 2 is regretfully lackluster. You won’t remain stoned faced, but you’ll be close to it, depending on your level of tolerance for slapstick."

"At The Movies

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (PG) * *

History Revived!

By ROBERT WALDMAN

Seldom do follow-up movies do as well as the original. Exceptions to this rule include the classic James Bond films of the Sean Connery 60s and the rebooted Pink Panther franchise. Hoping to strike gold for the second time in a row is 20th Century Fox with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, currently on exhibit at Tinseltown (on Pender, free parking), Empire Oakdridge Cinemas, Empire Studio 12, Colossus and Famous Players Silver City Theatres across B.C. Despite return director Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther) again at the helm this time the writers don’t quite have the impact that classy, from out of nowhere original possessed.

Funnyman Ben Stiller (Meet the Parents) returns to the fold as the hapless Larry Daley, the most nerdy of all security guards imaginable. Again most of the ancient “characters” from the first natural museum are back with a few additions. Comedy is king here and the writers have done their best to breathe new life into the franchise with the inclusion of the likes of Al Capone and Amelia Earhart. Only a pretty lame plot involving the movement of key exhibit figures to the Smithsonian comes across as not that eventful.

There are some funny moments in Battle of the Smithsonian. Sparks don’t come that often though the special effects are again engaging. Shot in Vancouver for the second go round by now Stiller has this fish out of water role down pat. Scene stealer Hank Azaria (Run Fatboy Run) has a field day with no less than three parts and British imports Steve Coogan (Hamlet 2) and Ricky Gervais are especially hilarious, more so than their North American counterparts. Talk about the British Invasion reborn!

Kids will fully enjoy Battle of the Smithsonian which is really who this movie is intended for. Parents should embrace this movie as it still is quite imaginative and does have some funny moments. I only wanted more. It’s a shame when the special effects outstrip the story which alas is what’s happened here.

Read more reviews by Robert at www.moviereviewssite.com "