Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the sequel to 2006's smash, comedy hit is just as good as the first. Many sequels tend to be the same movie with a larger budget, but Smithsonian escapes that trap and tells a completely different story than the original. Smithsonian also manages to come up with a fresh comedy rather than retread all the funny moments of the original, although some of the better bits do pop up again; the slap fight between Stiller and the monkey comes to mind.
The set up for the film is pretty simple. Stiller's Larry Daley has left his perch as night guard of the museum and is now living his dream as a successful inventor. One night he goes to visit his old friends at the museum, only to find that the museum is being updated and most of the current displays are being shipped out to be archived at the Smithsonian. The next day, Larry receives a phone call from Lilliputian cowboy, Jedediah (the ever reliable Owen Wilson), who tells him that they are in trouble and need help. Larry races to the Smithsonian to help his friends and the fun and wackiness begins. There are plenty of new characters to keep audiences laughing such as The Thinker, some cupids and a giant octopus, not to mention Abraham Lincoln and a brief cameo from Darth Vader. The most capable new characters are Amelia Earhart played by the supremely talented Amy Adams, the always funny Hank Azaria as the villainous, Egyptian pharaoh, Kahmunrah (he also voices The Thinker and Honest Abe) and SNL member, Bill Hader as General Custer. Hader is quite charming in this role and my gut tells me he will be the next big movie star to emerge from SNL and walk on a path well traveled by the likes of Adam Sandler and Eddie Murphy before him.
Ben Stiller ably steps back into the role of Daley and is as funny and charismatic as he always is. Amy Adams plays Amelia Earhart as an enthusiast, wide eyed adventurer and is terrific as always. Hank Azaria is quite funny as buffoonish villain, Kahmunrah, but the character grows a little tiresome after awhile and has way too much time on screen. This is truly my one and only complaint about this entertaining movie. Well that and I also would've liked to see a little more of Robin Williams as the wise Teddy Roosevelt, who in my opinion is the heart and soul of the original. Smithsonian also has plenty of cameos including most of the cast of The Office, which leads me to wonder if these guys offer a special discount group rate.
Director Shawn Levy does a great job of keeping the film breezy and entertaining, while also imbuing the Smithsonian with a sense of awe and beauty, using wide shots to capture all of the magic of the museums many wonderful exhibits. There is one sequence in particular where Larry and Amelia encounter famous painting and photos that have sprung to life and they actually walk into a famous black and white photo from WW II. All in all, with Smithsonian, Levy has established himself as a sure handed filmmaker who handles comedy, action and special effects with equal aplomb.
To sum it up, Battle of the Smithsonian is a funny, original, special effects bonanza that is perfect for the whole family.
