Movie Review:
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Rated by 9 members
Rated PG for mild action and brief language.
Recommended for ages 4 to 15.
Run Time: 105 minutes
Quick Take: Light on plot but heavy on cool stuff? Should hold kids' attention (and maybe make them long for a museum trip in real life.)
A Second Museum Trip Exhibits Plenty of Fun
With the whole of the Smithsonian available, it's no surprise that there's a lot of cool stuff in Ben Stiller's new Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Trouble is, there's not a lot of other "stuff " holding the cool stuff together -- like maybe a script. Or a plot.
No matter. Such pesky details will matter little to the target audience. They'll lap up the on-screen manic bedlam about Smithsonian characters come to life with the same kind of zeal they all use to laugh at each other's made-up jokes. The randomness of Albert Einstein rocking out to KC and the Sunshine Band, or of Napoleon (yes, that Napoleon) asking a guy if he "likes" or "like likes" Amelia Earhart reads together like one of those stream-of-consciousness plays kids stage at bath time using every character in their toy box. But, the toy box is the Smithsonian. And, the special effects are better.
This Museum outing finds Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) moved on from night guarding to a career as successful inventor hawking his glow-in-the-dark flashlights on Home Shopping Network. He charges to the aid of his come-to-life waxen friends after they're moved from the Museum of Natural History to the Smithsonian and threatened by in-house baddie, Kahmunrah. Good guys (Amelia Earhart, Abraham Lincoln, cowboy Jedediah, and Greek warrior Octavius) align versus bad guys (Napoleon, Al Capone, Ivan the Terrible). Mayhem ensues.
Visually, at least, Night delivers. It's a kick to see famous artifacts, like the paintings The Kiss or American Gothic, spring to life as breathing characters, though one wishes they'd left some of the art in peace. It's kind of sad to think that underneath all that plaster, Rodin's famous Thinker is really just a lust-crazed Jersey boy.
While the sequel's setup veers little from the original, what's missing is the light touch. There's some funny schtick involving myriad pop culture icons (not to mention those slapping monkeys) that's sure to amuse the kids, and a comely Ms. Earhart (let's just say her aviatrix-meets-Victoria's Secret outfit really maximizes her, um, assets) that will certainly appeal to dads. But, with the notable exception of the delightful Amy Adams, it's hard to tell if everyone on screen is trying too hard, or not trying at all.
Still, it's hard to miss the appeal to kids. Plus, the first movie in the series, in addition to cleaning up at the box office, upped the number of visitors to New York's Natural History Museum where the action took place. As product-placement goes, you could do worse. One can only hope the Smithsonian will reap similar benefits.
It's not such a far-fetched idea. Even if the exhibits don't come to life, you'll still get to look at some really cool stuff.
Kids Will Like:
Filmmakers know their audience, and thus employed the slapping-monkey feature to best advantage. The idea of a living museum is a pretty winning concept all by itself -- the kind of thing that says a big old "Yowza!" to a kid.
Parents Will Like:
Pop culture references buzz by pretty fast, some the kids will catch, while some (the unmistakable inspiration for Hank Azaria's King) are most likely just for moms and dads.
Related Features:
Night at the Museum Family Night
Family Travel Destinations: American Museum of Natural History
Family Travel Fun: Washington D.C. Map for Kids
