Product Description

History is larger than life—and twice as funny—in this monumental comedy sequel that’s “better than the original” (At the Movies)! Ben Stiller leads an all-star cast (including Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria and Robin Williams) as Larry Daley, a former night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come to life after dark. But now Larry’s nocturnal friends are being retired to the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, luring him back for a hilarious, all-out battle against museum misfits who plan to take over the Smithsonian...and the world!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #161 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-12-01
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 105 minutes

Customer Reviews

More of the Same? Yes, but well done
Most sequels either fail miserably at trying to "top" the original ("Miss Congeniality 2" springs to mind), or succeed beyond all expectations ("Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan" is a good example).

"Night at the Museum 2, The Battle of the Smithsonian" hits neither of these extremes: it has no pretensions about being a great film. It seems the writers and producers just wanted to make a film that their audience would enjoy, and they succeeded. Certainly, the original film was better and more original in many respects, and there is lots of continuity with the first film, as many of the characters have returned. There are also some notable additions to the cast, such as Amy Adams - who is superb as Amelia Earhart (as many of my fellow reviewers here have noted).

Yet, the scene stealer in the film though is not Ms. Adams, but Hank Azaria, who plays the Egyptian Pharaoh Kahmunrah: the evil and inept older brother of Ahkmenrah (the Pharaoh from the original film). Azaria's Karloff-esque character is really well done. One of the best scenes in the film is when Kahmunrah and Ben Stiller's character (Larry Daley) argue over the fate of Jedidiah (played by Owen Wilson). I heard a rising tide of belly laughs all around me as this scene progressed: a salute to the old time vaudeville comedic dialog routines, played to near perfection by two excellent actors. Laurel and Hardy would have been proud!

Kudos to the Smithsonian for the unprecedented access and support they provided to the producers of this film. I've visited the Washington Mall and Smithsonian Museums many times, and it was great to see them on the big screen, and great fun seeing the havoc and mayhem that special effects allowed the film's characters to inflict upon our national treasures.

I like this film because it is honest with itself and its audience, and consistently delivers laughs and smiles. Is it a great film? No. Is it funny? Definitely. Is it a great way to spend a couple of hours with your better half, or the kids? Absolutely. For that reason I'll give it Four Stars: enjoy!

Clean for Kids, Enjoyable for Whole Family
Finally, a movie all ages can enjoy. And please take note, Hollywood -- yes, it can be done without swearing, sex or violence. Clever dialog, great acting and effects. We're all waiting for it to come out on video. We would even have taken the kids to see it again if the theater experience wasn't so expensive. One of the only criticisms is that we would have liked to have seen more of Robin Williams character. Rest assured, this is one movie that won't leave you jimmy-jacked!

Battle of the brains
I think that this is a movie that not only children will enjoy, but adults who have a knowledge of history and catch an inside joke. After standing in line for an hour with 3 children who wanted to see this compared to Up by Pixar, and sitting in the front row, the movie itself was an enjoyment. My kids now know about Amelia Earhart, Amy Adams, and Abe Lincoln a little more. Instead of sitting in a classroom being bored, and learning PI and the first woman to fly over the Atlantic, they actually got to have a laugh......yes it is a sequal, so we all know that they are not normally as good as the original, but I personally feel it is the amount of knowledge you are looking for, and if you can read between the lines. Obviously from other blogs, some adults want the joke to just be out there and stand out, not something that is always going to happen on a G movie.....