When sequels are marketed, we’re usually given the spiel that they’re bigger and better. While Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian, just released on Blu-ray and DVD, is certainly bigger than the first movie, to say that it’s better would be a stretch.
Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, a former security guard at the New York Museum of Natural History, who now operates his own successful company Daley Devices. He gets called back into action by his friends, the historical museum exhibits that came to life after dark. When the exhibits are shipped to the Smithsonian and get into a battle with the fictitious Egyptian Pharaoh Kahmunrah, Daley takes it upon himself to fix things.
“Night 2″ is best viewed by imaginative kids mesmerized by all of the sight gags or those that enjoyed the gimmick of the first one: seeing historical figures come to life in comedic fashion. One thing’s for sure is that you’re not going to be watching this film to be blown away by the plot. Night 2 wastes no time getting back to the zany, CG infused antics that riddled the first film, which I found mildly entertaining.
If you subscribe to the Ben Stiller style of humor, then this one will be more of the same for you. In the Stiller spectrum of comedy, where his more serious roles were in flicks like Along Came Polly and Duplex versus his outright silly roles in Zoolander or Dodgeball, this one is more on the serious side. I personally like Stiller when he’s deliberately playing a goofball and he’s just a little too straight man in this one to get any laughs out of me.
The dialogue doesn’t do much to help the situation, with most jokes landing with a thud. And it’s unfortunate that the writing wasn’t better, because Night 2, like the first film, has an amazing list of acting and comedic talent at its disposal. Of Hank Azaria, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Ricky Gervais, Owen Wilson, Bill Hader and Christopher Guest, only Azaria and Adams seem to have a lasting impact when it’s all said and done. Azaria utilized his great voice talents to simultaneously be funny and menacing as the film’s villain, Kahmunrah. Amy Adams seems to have had a fun time filming this, making her Amelia Earhart character come to life. Robin Williams, who was a huge plus in the first movie, had a minimized role in this one, which was a bummer.
In fact, the cast seems more alive (and funny) in the Behind-The-Scenes featurette, where they explain what they went for in their roles and how it was to shoot the movie. What they did to make the movie is certainly impressive, building 5 sets to mimic the ridiculous size of the real Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The featurette gives you sense of how expensive the movie was to make, with its reported budget being somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 million.
There’s also an interesting feature the followings director Shawn Levy on a typical day on the set. It’s pretty cool if you like to see how movies are made and was probably the best additional extra in the box set, if you ask me.
The hi-def is presented in 1080p with a 2.35:1 ratio. As for audio, you’re getting English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio/5.1. The heavy use of CG and green screen in the film is obvious, but most of the scenes using them are really well done. The film also looks great in hi-def, and the fact that the visual effects look good with the higher resolution shows the expertise that was leveraged to bring it to life.
Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian, although impressively produced, ultimately is lacking in the charm and humor department, which is tough given that it’s a comedy. Kids will be blown away by all the neat characters and stunts, but adults are likely to find themselves bored silly.
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Special Features:
Disc One
• Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Blu-ray
• Gag Reel
• 12 Deleted Scenes Including Alternate Ending
• Curators of Comedy: Behind The Scenes With Ben Stiller
• Museum Scavenger Hunt Game
• Cherub Bootcamp
• Phinding Pharaoh With Hank Azaria
• Monkey Mischief Featurettes
• Historical Confessions: Famous Last Words
• Secret Doors and Scientists
• Cavemen Conversations: Survival of the Wittiest
• Museum Magic: Entering The World Of The Photograph
• Director 201 With Shawn Levy
• Gangster Levy
• Audio Commentaries With Director Shawn Levy, Writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
• FOX Movie Channel Presents Featurettes
Disc Two
• Digital Copy of Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Disc Three
• Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian widescreen feature film (2.40:1 aspect ratio)
Title: Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian [Blu-ray]Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat, Robin Williams
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: December 1, 2009
Rating: 6 / 10
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