Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

PG

2009

1h 45m

Kids & Family

Comedy

Fantasy

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

43%

Tomatometer

167 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Once the night guard at the Museum of Natural History, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is now a successful purveyor of infomercial products. Soon after learning that his museum friends have been shipped to the Smithsonian Institution, Larry receives a distress call from Jedediah, who warns him that four of history's greatest villains have come to life and are planning to take over the Smithsonian first, then the world. Larry joins forces with friends old and new to stop the quartet's nefarious plans.

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Critics Consensus

Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian is busy enough to keep the kids interested but the slapstick goes overboard and the special effects (however well executed) throw the production into mania.

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David Denby

The New Yorker

06/01/2009

The result is pretty much a free-form traffic jam in which everyone fights everyone else.

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

05/25/2009

a scattergun trawl through human (albeit mostly American) history and culture, with the emphasis more on entertainment than instruction.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

05/24/2009

3/5

All up it's Levy's best work so far and while I realise that's faint praise, it's far from being damning.

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Ezequiel Obregón

EscribiendoCine

Nov 24

4/10

All of it predictable. So predictable, in fact, that after half an hour, the viewer will wonder why they didn't watch it on cable on a rainy Sunday. [Full review in Spanish]

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

12/15/2023

1/4

Though brimming with computer special effects and celebrity cameos, the movie’s marvels are hardly impressive, given that they’ve recycled everything from the first and just added a couple of new features for good measure.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

11/29/2020

4/10

A really, really stupid comedy.

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Veronica S

@VeraM 36m

Great movie. Warm hearted and funny. Hank Azaria steals the show, amazing actor!

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TheMovieSearch R

@TheMovieSearch 1d

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is a solid sequel that, while not quite reaching the charm of the original, still delivers a fun and engaging adventure. Ben Stiller continues to embody Larry Daley with humor and heart, keeping the character relatable amidst increasingly fantastical scenarios. The screenplay struggles at times with continuity and pacing, occasionally feeling uneven compared to the first film, but it still provides enough clever setups and visual gags to hold attention. Robin Williams shines once again as Teddy Roosevelt, his charisma and comedic timing adding warmth and humor that elevate the ensemble. The director maintains the lively tone of the series, juggling multiple storylines and historical figures while keeping the spectacle accessible and entertaining. Although some plot points feel forced, the film’s creativity, action sequences, and humorous interactions make it a worthwhile family-friendly sequel that honors the original

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DZ E

@Ziggy88z Jan 4

85/100 I like it more than others.

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Cady A

@Cady16 Dec 24

Some scenes were too lengthy and it felt really annoying that there was no sense of urgency. Like, oh he is on the brink of death, let me just go on four detours and tell everyone my life story. The only thing good about this movie is the annimations, mainly talking about the paintings. The storyline has potential, but it felt rushed and did not make any sense.

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Ed R

@JustcallmeER Dec 13

Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian is busy enough to keep the kids interested but the slapstick goes overboard and the special effects (however well executed) throw the production into mania.

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Fabiana C

Nov 25

Good like the first one. Great to see with kids and Great to watch it before going to Washington like we did.

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Shawn Levy

Director

Ben Stiller

Larry Daley

Robin Williams

Teddy Roosevelt

Amy Adams

Amelia Earhart

Owen Wilson

Jedediah

Hank Azaria

Kahmunrah

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Synopsis

Once the night guard at the Museum of Natural History, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is now a successful purveyor of infomercial products. Soon after learning that his museum friends have been shipped to the Smithsonian Institution, Larry receives a distress call from Jedediah, who warns him that four of history's greatest villains have come to life and are planning to take over the Smithsonian first, then the world. Larry joins forces with friends old and new to stop the quartet's nefarious plans.

Director: Shawn Levy
Producer: Shawn Levy, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
Screenwriter: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 1492 Pictures, 21 Laps Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: PG (Mild Action|Brief Language)
Genre: Kids & Family, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 22, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 19, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $177.2M
Runtime: 1h 45m

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