film review: Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian (2009)
May 22, 2009 //
I saw Night At The Museum 2 at a Saturday morning preview. It was early. Well, early for me. Fortunately this meant that the theatre was not full, so I could sit in the middle of the theatre AND away from the families, but still not too close to the screen. Score.
It wasn’t really worth it though.
I honestly can’t remember when I saw the first Night At The Museum. I think it might have been on the plane but I really don’t know. Actually I remember so little about it that I think I might have liked it, at least a bit. I mean I don’t remember hating it and to do like Ben Stiller…
So, I thought I’d go see Night At The Museum 2 anyway. I thought it might jog my memory. It didn’t. But I do know what I thought of this one.
Ah no, it’s not that bad. It’s fine. It’s just not really that exciting. I can’t help but think that with the cast it has it really should have been excellent… and it wasn’t. Not by a long shot. Ok, Hank Azaria was great as usual, and Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson were both perfectly comfortable in their roles. Everybody else was pretty much in the background for me.
Plotwise and actionwise it just wasn’t up to much… I just kept thinking that it desperately needed to be in 3D. I mean ok, if Scar 3D taught me anything it’s that 3D can’t save a crappy film. But I do think it could help a middling movie, and that’s what this is. I don’t even think there was much in it for kids. Ok, I’m not a kid, but I’ve seen a lot of kids films and I always got the impression that they needed to be bright and funny and action filled, they need characters that kids can relate to. There’s not much of that here really.
The best thing about the film was the Smithsonian itself. Actually it was like watching a long ad for the Smithsonian… I’m definitely going to go to the Smithsonian if I ever get to the US. I really think 3D could have helped here too… the exhibits could have really come to life then!
All in all, it was a bit meh. On the other hand I did think the museum looked fantastic and I did laugh a couple of times. I wasn’t bored by it so I’m giving it a half decent rating…
6/10
I saw this movie on the Singapore-Copenhagen flight. I didn’t mind it at all actually. I’d never pay good money for it but as a low-brow cheese’n’popcorn movie, it does its job.
You know I never actually made the connection between the Smithsonian in the movie and the Smithsonian IRL. I mean…it’s a movie right? Why would it actually be anything other than a sound-stage? I always saw it as just the cardboard background on wheels that squeaks onto the stage in the first act. It just explains where all those cowboys and Romans are coming from. That’s it.
The one thing that has stayed with me is Amy Adams. Disclaimer! I am a guy! Wow, those flight suit johdpurs were very flattering to her derrière.