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There are certain actors working in Hollywood
who make blockbuster movies based on pretty
much the same type of character every time
they are onscreen. For me this usually gets
tiresome, and it makes it hard to recommend
a film (or not to recommend it) because
some moviegoers have a love or hate relationship
with these actors.
For me, I cannot stand Adam Sandler, yet
his movies make millions. I love Ben Stiller
and think he's funny as hell, but others
I know …don’t. So when I write
about a movies like "Night at the Museum:
Battle of the Smithsonian", I have
to point out that if you don't like Stiller,
you won’t like this movie no matter
how much praise I heap on it.
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That said, the first "Night at the Museum"
starred Ben Stiller as one of those dreamers who
believes his life is meant for 'something more'
and so he drifts from job to job, which as he
is introduced has cost him his marriage and nearly
his son. As a last ditch effort to reconcile with
his son, he gets a job as a night watchman for
a museum and is determined to keep it. He is introduced
to the museum by the current, but retiring watchmen,
but they don’t quite tell him everything.
It seems that at night everything in the place
comes to life and it’s up to him to keep
order.
There was a much more complex plot running through
the film, which has info that leads into the second
film so that’s all I’ll say about
that. Suffice to say it made for quite an enjoyable
romp, so much so that I ended up liking the movie
a lot more than I expected to. Stiller faced his
dilemma much in the way he always does, with confused
stares, uncomfortable pain and lots of intense
controlled yelling. Most of it was EXTREMELY silly,
but it worked and got laughs. I watched it with
the family and everyone enjoyed it, so I appreciated
the fact that it was so family-friendly.
So I was rather happy to see that Stiller was
reuniting with a majority of the cast to have
some more fun with our waxen characters. This
time though, we find that Larry (Stiller) has
left his post as the trusted night watchman to
live a life of riches as a ‘Ron Popeil’
style inventor. But when he hears the news that
the museum is to be re-designed and his friends
shipped off and boxed away in the basement of
the Smithsonian, he tries to rush on to save the
day. Unfortunately, he is unable to stop them
from being shipped off and he sadly returns to
his new life. But when a frantic phone call alerts
him to a world shattering occurrence involving
his friends, he sets into motion a plan to save
them.
Right off the bat, I’d have to say that
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian”
is simply not quite as funny as the first movie.
There isn’t as much screen time given to
the old characters as there is a larger focus
on the new and admittedly a lot of the jokes fall
kind of flat. The majority of the times, the familiar
favorite characters are locked in a huge moving
crate and they mostly plan and plot, with only
a couple of them really getting to do anything.
Only Steve Coogan’s ‘Octavius’
really gets to do anything… and one scene
in particular is absolutely hilarious.
Yet there are moments that save the film as a
whole as well as performances that make it very
much worth watching. First and foremost is the
lovely Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart. Her take on
the aviatress is one of fun loving adventuress,
and it is one of her best roles to date. She is
absolutely stunning and steals every moment of
screen time she is in. Hank Azaria also stars
as Kahmunrah, the Egyptian ruler bent on world
domination. Azaria is a master voice actor (most
of you know him from “The Simpsons”),
and his Kahmunrah is a hysterical, lisping egomaniac.
20th Century Fox is releasing several different
editions of “Night at the Museum: Battle
of the Smithsonian" and if you have any plans
of picking it up, I’d recommend the 3-disc
combo pack. You get the Bluray, a DVD and the
Digital Copy (my favorite part of the pack). I
like having films on Bluray and DVD, which allows
me to bring it over to a friend’s house…
if they don’t have Bluray player yet and
enjoy watching it with them. The Bluray is definitely
worth the pack simply because the movie looks
gorgeous. All the costumes and sets are so incredibly
colorful and detailed and the Bluray really allows
a true appreciation for all of it. There is even
a black and white sequence that looks beautiful.
There are also a ton of special features to be
found in this set. Director Shawn Levy gives us
a commentary that starts off with a bang, but
he loses steam after a while. It’s a decent
commentary, but you might not find yourself engaged
the whole time. You’ll find a second commentary
by writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
which is a little more interesting, but again
you might not end up listening to the whole thing.
There are 11 deleted scenes and 1 alternate ending
(with optional commentary). Most of these are
worth a watch, but I can see why they were cut.
“Curators of Comedy: Behind The Scenes”
is a fairly lengthy featurette that shows a lot
of the awesome sets and props, definitely worth
a look. “Historical Confessions: Famous
Last Words” allows most of the film’s
characters to say something about themselves.
Kind of funny, but not as good as I hoped. Additionally,
there is an ‘interview’ with the cavemen…
also not as funny as they thought it was.
Another featurette follows Levy through a day
on the set. The best part of this is seeing how
some of the green screen effects were done. Better
is a look at how the black and white sequence
was shot. Azaria is featured in an extra that
shows the process he went through to get just
the right voice and characterization for Kahmunrah,
while three other featurettes focus on the unbearably
cute capuchin monkeys.I’m not sure about
the behind the scenes look at the Jonas Brothers
work on the film… I mean… it’s
the Jonas Brothers… You will also find a
very funny Gag Reel, which fortunately goes on
long enough to make it worth watching. But the
best feature of all takes a look at the real scientists
who at the American Muesum portion of the Smithsonian.
Like its predecessor, "Night at the Museum:
Battle of the Smithsonian" isn’t some
deep, award winning film meant to teach lessons
(though there is a little bit of a lesson to be
sure), it is meant to allow you an escape into
a fantasy world of laughter and excitement. Even
with the moments that don’t work, it still
delivers a lot of both. Personally I still enjoyed
it, especially since I have been to the Smithsonian
and reminisced about the scenes shot in areas
I’ve been to.
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Robin Williams,
Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest
Extras: 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; 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 Filmmakers; FOX Movie Channel
Presents Featurettes; Digital Copy of Night At
The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian; Night At
The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian DVD (2.40:1
aspect ratio)
Specifications: Widescreen (2.35:1), 5.1 DTS-HD
Master Audio
Studio: Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: 12/1/2009
MPAA Rating: PG
http://www.foxbluray.com
We'll give Night at the Museum: Battle of the
Smithsonian a B.
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