Film Snail

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

6.1

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

PG·2009·105m

Adventure

Fantasy

Action

Comedy

Family

Adventure

Fantasy

Action

Comedy

Family

Summary

Hapless museum night watchman Larry Daley must help his living, breathing exhibit friends out of a pickle now that they've been transferred to the archives at the Smithsonian Institution. Larry's (mis)adventures this time include close encounters with Amelia Earhart, Abe Lincoln and Ivan the Terrible.

Cast

Ben Stiller

Larry Daley

Amy Adams

Amelia Earhart

Owen Wilson

Jedediah Smith

Hank Azaria

Kahmunrah / The Thinker / Abe Lincoln

Robin Williams

Theodore Roosevelt

Christopher Guest

Ivan the Terrible

Alain Chabat

Napoleon Bonaparte

Steve Coogan

Octavius

Ricky Gervais

Dr. McPhee

Bill Hader

George Armstrong Custer

Jon Bernthal

Al Capone

Patrick Gallagher

Attila the Hun

Jake Cherry

Nicky Daley

Rami Malek

Ahkmenrah

Mizuo Peck

Sacajawea

Kerry van der Griend

Neanderthal #1

Matthew Harrison

Neanderthal #2

Rick Dobran

Neanderthal #3

Randy Lee

Hun #1

Darryl Quon

Hun #2

Gerald Wong

Hun #3

Paul Cheng

Hun #4

Jay Baruchel

Sailor Joey Motorola

Mindy Kaling

Docent

Keith Powell

Tuskegee Airman #1

Craig Robinson

Tuskegee Airman #2

Samuel Patrick Chu

Teenage Boy #1

Augustus Oicle

Teenage Boy #2

Kai James

Teenage Boy #3

Clint Howard

Air and Space Mission Control Tech #1

Matty Finochio

Air and Space Mission Control Tech #2

George Foreman

Josh Byer

Capone Gangster #1

Sophie Levy

Young Girl #1

Tess Levy

Young Girl #2

Christina Schild

'American Gothic' Woman

Robert Thurston

'American Gothic' Farmer

Alberta Mayne

Kissing Nurse

Clifton MaCabe Murray

Kissing Sailor

Caroll Spinney

Oscar the Grouch (voice)

Thomas Morley

Darth Vader

Dan Joffre

Town Car Driver

Dave Hospes

Astronaut

Regina Taufen

New York Reporter

Shawn Levy

Infomercial Father

Joe Jonas

Cherub #1 (voice)

Kevin Jonas

Cherub #2 (voice)

Nick Jonas

Cherub #3 (voice)

Eugene Levy

Albert Einstein (voice)

Brad Garrett

Easter Island Head (voice)

Ed Helms

Larry Daley's Assistant (uncredited)

Jonah Hill

Brundon the Security Guard (uncredited)

Thomas Lennon

Wilbur Wright (uncredited)

Crystal the Monkey

Dexter / Able (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Shawn Levy

Characters, Writer

Thomas Lennon

Characters, Writer

Robert Ben Garant

Reviews

Geronimo1967

June 19, 2023

Shawn Levy didn't waste any time cobbling together this sequel and though it's not terrible, it's all a bit silly. "Daley" (Ben Stiller) has made his fortune and "McPhee" (Ricky Gervais) is facing the worrying digitisation of his soon to be "interactive" museum. This is going to result in the relocation of some of the exhibits to the Smithsonian where the megalomanic Pharaoh "Kahmunrah" is poised to ally with Ivan the Terrible, Al Capone and Napoleon to form his own little axis of evil. Quickly, it falls to "Daley" and his assembled troop of recently transported, brave, exhibits to thwart this dastardly plan. To be fair, this film does move along well and has retained most of the cast from the first film - Robin Williams as the sagely Teddy Roosevelt and quite a dashing Rami Malek ("Ahkmenrah") as well as adding an enthusiastic performance from Amy Adams as the trail-blazing Amelia Earhart. It's all just a bit overly-theatrical for me, though - especially the really hammy Hank Azaria who just seems to be trying to do his best Robert Downey Jr impersonation of the menacing Pharaoh. It's really just anther vehicle for Ben Stiller to do what he does best, and if that's what you like then there is nothing to disappoint here - he does all that he needs to. For me, it's all just a little lazy with a denouement that offers little by way of jeopardy. It looks good, though, and again reminds us to go visit a museum some time.