Stiller lacks presence in 'Museum' sequel

Molly Poll, Contributor
Published On: 06/ 9/2009

“Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian” makes no secret of the fact that it’s around for a good time.

The film, starring Ben Stiller, takes theatergoers on a wild goose chase through several Smithsonian museums in the span of two hours and doesn’t even stop to gasp for air.

When the movie starts we meet Larry Daley, played by Stiller, an inventor who has abandoned his job as a night guard at the Museum of Natural History to start his own company.

Soon, however, Larry returns to the Museum to find that the exhibits – which came to life in the first “Night at the Museum” installment – are being put in storage to make way for new, hi-tech exhibits.

Larry decides that he must help them, so, disguised as a night guard, he makes his way into the Smithsonian archives and releases them.

What he does not realize is that in doing so he releases not only his friends but also an Egyptian pharaoh who is obsessed with power and who, in a drastic turn of events, attempts to take over the world one exhibit character at a time. Ben Stiller’s character sets out to set his friends free from the impending doom.

Many historical figures come into play during the film to help Ben Stiller’s character on his quest; others, such as Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Al Capone, attempt to stop him.

I did not enter the theater expecting to see a fantastic film, and because of that the film definitely met my expectations.
The historical representations in the movie were exaggerated at best and the plot took a bit too long to take off: the first several minutes of the movie were wasted on unnecessary exchanges between characters.

Despite these problems, “Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian” never fails to be entertaining. The film is action-packed and full of laughs, even if it never fully delivers on the humor side of things.

There is never a laugh-until-you-cry moment, but that cannot be expected from a movie that is geared toward a younger audience.

Based on that audience’s response, the movie did a good job. Most of the humor – if not all of it – did not go over any young heads. The humor was elementary, but it meant that not much was required of the viewer.

There was no complex comedy, the kind with hidden layers of laughs buried beneath a single sentence. Instead, it was slapstick funny to the point that some audiences could see it as silly and just unfunny at best.

Some scenes were just that. However, its target audience most certainly found it humorous, and the adults in the audience were also driven to laughter at many points throughout the movie.

Special effects were one aspect that was not taken lightly. Owen Wilson’s tiny character never once looked out of place or odd regardless of his small stature, and the giant squid, which, believe it or not, does pop up occasionally throughout the film – looks almost as if it is real as well.

The actors did a fair job given the premise of the film.

Most of them were funny when necessary, exaggerating their roles if they played a historical figure and, in Ben Stiller’s case, acting blissfully unaware but knowledgeable in his purpose.

As someone who had never seen the first Night at the Museum movie in the series, I went into the theater without knowing what to expect. I heard several people state that they had seen the first one and thought that this one paled in comparison. I cannot attest to that, but I can say that no matter what, “Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian” is a thrill ride that is full of its own surprises along the way.

Overall, the film was actually quite entertaining given the highly implausible plotline. It is without a doubt a good, oftentimes humorous film not only for the young, but also for the young at heart, regardless of its minor pitfalls.
 

Email: mpollard@uab.edu