Do not be fooled. While the trailer for “Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian” may seem packed full of fun, hilarious characters and ingenious ideas, the actual movie is not quite the same.
Larry Daley (Ben Stiller)is the only character that the audience is really able to connect with because there are so many minor characters thrown in randomly to the movie. Take for instance, Abraham Lincoln, not the real man, but his statue in Washington DC. Larry along with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) are running from the “bad guys” when they come across his statue and decide to hide there. They chat with honest Abe for a few minutes, without really accomplishing anything.
The movie was just a giant maze of a plot; which didn’t really develope an idea of what the characters are trying to accomplish.
By the end of the movie, there isn’t any real change, except the bad guys are mostly dead or have disappeared. It’s almost unsatisfying.On the lighter side, the movie does show some interesting people and things. The “thinker” is fairly comical and it’s amusing to see the genius of Albert Einstein reduced to a bobble-head. Its moral of “do what you love with people you love,” is presented clearly at the end. It has the potential of being entertaining, if you can follow what is happening and not get overwhelmed by the onslaught of new characters.
If you happen to be taking your kid sister on a date (as I did) or just need a relaxing movie to watch with the family, “Battle of the Smithsonian” is the way to go. However, keep your expectations low, whenever something dramatic is about to happen, something goofy upstages it.
While it lacks an identity, it makes up for it with its funny characters and the interesting conversations they have. This sequel didn’t live up to the standard set by the first movie, but it is still decent for some laughs.