Confession time: I love summer movies. I grew up on Jurassic Park, Independence Day, and the first run of Batman movies. I’d rather watch monsters eat people and spaceships blow up than a divorcée struggling to readapt to dating or an absentee father making amends with his kids after learning he’s ill or has lost his job.
That said, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a weak summer movie. It’s not terrible, and it has imaginative moments. But what’s disappointing is that, despite a great premise and all of the comedic talent on display, mediocrity reigns.
At the end of the original movie, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) was a security guard at the Museum of Natural History in New York, where, thanks to the magical tablet of Egyptian pharaoh Ahkmenrah, the exhibits came to life at night. Now Larry is a successful infomercial salesman, and the tablet, along with many of the friendly exhibits from the first movie, has found its way to the Smithsonian. There the tablet awakens Ahkmenrah’s evil, lisping brother Khamunrah (Hank Azaria), who plans on using it to unleash his army of the underworld. Now Larry, along with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), who has newly come to life and is ready for adventure, must race to stop him.
Or, well, race to get the tablet, then race to decode the tablet, then race to stop Khamunrah. Larry and Khamunrah go back and forth on what to do with the thing, robbing the movie of any tension and making it feel like a protracted detour. Still, that wouldn’t matter if the jokes were great and the premise was used to its fullest. Sadly, special effects whiz by more as sensory overload than abundant amazement. Stiller’s dry reaction to these things is true to his character but reduces their wondrousness. There are memorable moments, like the one in which the characters enter Alfred Eisenstaedt’s V-J Day in Times Square photo. But most of the time, the museum feels less like the wonders of the world come to life and more like a grab-bag of visual effects thrown at the audience.
Making matters worse is that the great cast is given little to do other than act goofy or deliver wild impressions of famous historical figures. Faring better than the blandly likable (as usual) Stiller is Adams, who brings plenty of moxie to the role of the legendary pilot (and looks great in flight pants). As Khamunrah, Azaria makes a fun if toothless bad guy. The other supporting actors, though, like Bill Hader and Ricky Gervais, don’t generate many laughs.
Battle of the Smithsonian is an OK family summer movie, but for God’s sake, a new Pixar movie opens this weekend (see above review). Save your money and take the family to see that instead.
