In Theaters - Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Ben Stiller brings us back to the museum that comes to life at night... only this time it is the LARGEST museum in the world. Stiller and crew this time take on the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Heavyweights Robin Williams and Owen Wilson are back along for the ride and this story also adds the likes of Hank Azaria, Bill Hader and Amy Adams. Even funnymen Craig Robinson and Jonah Hill peek in for a piece of the action. Well, the casting director did a great job, so what about the writers and the director?

This story starts us off with the lovable museum night watchmen making it big with inventions that he came up with in order to ease his transition into the museum. Personally, I thought this aspect of the new film was incredibly silly. LOL, how odd is it to call something silly in a movie about inanimate items coming to life and taking over a museum? But really, the entire opening scene comes off as though it should be a dream sequence more so than a segment filling us in on what has happened since the last movie. We then continue to find out that all his buddies at the museum are being shipped off to the archives of the famous Smithsonian Museum where the fun loving antics pick right up. Napoleon, Al Capone and Ivan the Terrible are among the mischievous characters involved. While Amelia Earhart, General Custer and even the 16th President of the United States of America Abraham Lincoln. And I would be remiss to not mention that the Tuskegee Airmen showed their faces as well.

The story is very cute and the jokes are quite quirky. This is where the film really loses its appeal. The film's comedic value is more geared toward children, yet it doesn't really have the appearance of a children's film. I do not feel that adults will enjoy the film that much, and I also do not think that children will bug mom and dad to go see the new Ben Stiller movie. I'm sorry to say, but the film just isn't as entertaining as it could and should be. I also have a personal gripe with the film in that I wish that it would have given just a tad bit more educational value. Since it is set in a museum and somewhat geared toward children, I would have appreciated it a bit if there had been more educational gems randomly dropped in there. But as I said, that is just a personal opinion. Does it hurt the credibility of the film? Not so much.

Overall the film is not necessarily bad, it's just that it is not necessarily good either. A lot of the same recycled jokes from the first film, and not enough fresh material for a sequel. In my opinion, this one is about a 6 out of 10. It may sound a bit harsh, but this is one sequel that really did not need to be made.