Ben Stiller and the gang are back in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: Battle of the Smithsonian (on DVD & Blu-ray Triple Play) -- DVD Review by Dean Winkelspecht

—> See Link to our DVD Review (further below)

When the lights go off the battle is on.

"It's a faster, wittier spin on the formula of its predecessor... It all works because Stiller, with his eager-to-please anxiety and his incredulous double takes, is the perfect addled straight man for a hellzapoppin history show."
—Owen Gleiberman (Entertainment Weekly)

"With inspired effects sequences and amusing riffs by the talented cast, especially new arrivals Hank Azaria... and pistol Amy Adams, who makes for a particularly spirited Amelia Earhart."
—Michael Rechtshaffen (Hollywood Reporter)

"A wholesome, winsome action/comedy... The film is at its strongest when it honors tradition and embraces new personalities."
—Sara Schieron (Box Office)

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN — on DVD, 2-Pack DVD (w/bonus disc), and Blu-ray Triple Play
(BD, DVD, & Digital Copy) »
(Now available - released December 1)

20th Century Fox recently released this summer's smash comedy adventure, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, a sequel to the hilarious 2006 adventure comedy film Night at the Museum.

The film stars Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Alain Chabat, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Bill Hader, Jon Bernthal, Patrick Gallagher, Jake Cherry, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck, and Robin Williams.

In addition to Ben Stiller, the cast was rounded out by many from the original film as well as several new characters from history. The centerpiece of the film is bringing to life the Smithsonian Institution, which houses the world's largest museum complex with more than 136 million items in its collections, ranging from the plane Amelia Earhart flew on her nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic and Al Capone's rap sheet and mug shot to Dorothy's ruby red slippers (The Wizard of Oz) and Archie Bunker's lounge chair ("All in the Family").

No major film has ever shot inside the Smithsonian in Washington… until NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN. Just in time for Christmas, Fox now offers the film in these editions:

$29.98 Standard DVD (Widescreen only)
$34.98 2-Pack DVD
(with "Monkey Mischief" bonus disc)
$39.98 Blu-ray Triple Play (BD, DVD, + Digital Copy)

All editions are loaded with extras!

Standard DVD:
• Commentary by director Shawn Levy
• Commentary by writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
• The Curators of Comedy: Behind the Scenes of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
• 5 Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Shawn Levy
• Alternate Ending
• Gag Reel
• Phinding Pharoah
• The Jonas Brothers in Cherub Bootcamp
• Trailers to other Fox/MGM titles

2-Pack DVD:
Includes the above content, plus:
• Monkey Mischief (bonus disc)
• Show Me The Monkey Featurettes
• Monkey Business
• Primate Prima Donnas
• The Secret Life of a Monkey Movie Star: Life Off Camera
• Activities
• Monkey Slap Game
• Abel and Dexters Flights of Fancy

3-Disc Blu-ray Triple Play:
Disc One:
• Scavenger Hunt
• Commentary by director Shawn Levy
• Commentary by writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon
• The Curators of Comedy: Behind the Scenes of Night at the Museum 2
• Historical Confessions: Famous Last Words
• Directing 201: A day in the life of director/producer Shawn Levy
• Cavemen Conversations: Survival of the Wittiest
• Show Me The Monkey Featurettes: Monkey Business, Primate Prima Donnas, The Secret Life of a Monkey Movie Star: Life Off Camera
• The Jonas Brothers in Cherub Bootcamp
• Museum Magic: Entering the World of the Photograph
• Secret Doors and Scientists: Behind the Scenes of the American Museum of Natural History
• Phinding Pharoah
• 11 Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Shawn Levy
• Alternate Ending
• Gangster Levy
• Gag Reel
• FOX Movie Channel Presents: Making a Scene
• FOX Movie Channel Presents: World Premiere
• Trailers to other Fox/MGM titles
• BD Live Bootstrap
Disc Two:
• Digital Copy of the film
Disc Three:
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian DVD edition (with bonus features)

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN — Explore further:
—> DVD Review by Dean Winkelspecht »
EXCERPT: Ben Stiller is Larry Daley. In the first film he was the night security guy, but now he has become a corporate success story by selling innovative products that are based from his previous career. I'm not sure when this transformation took place, but I'm assuming it was not during the first film. He returns to his museum to visit his old friends and museum director Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais) explains to him that the Museum of Natural History is going hi-tech and sending many of the exhibits off to the Smithsonian to be stored and only a few of the more popular exhibits will remain. These include Rex and Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams). Larry and the exhibits hang out for one last night together although Teddy does not tell the other exhibits that the item that brings them life will not be making the journey with them.

Director Shawn Levy returned and writers Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant wrote the story and screen play for the sequel. With all of the major players returning to the second film, "Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian) doesn't feel like a quick attempt at making money from the successful film. It feels like a franchise picture where everybody involved cares for the product and while the film won't ever be recognized for wonderful storytelling or a poignant story, the second "Night of the Museum" is fun and at times whimsical as recognizable items from the Smithsonian's collection come to life. I'm sure nobody involved was looking to win Best Picture and far more thought went into what would be 'cool' or 'fun' to bring to life. The film is definitely not a great film and it isn't even a good story, but it is at least fun.

I mentioned how most of the core returned to work on this sequel. There are a number of supporting actors from both films I have not even mentioned. This includes Jake Cherry as Larry's son Nicky, Patrick Gallagher as Attila the Hun and Mizuo Peck as Sacagawea. To have this large of a group return to work on a sequel speaks to how much fun they had the first time around and it is apparent in the finished product that Stiller and company enjoy making these movies. You can always tell when a tight group enjoys working together. Their attitude allows the 'fun' to come across from the celluloid and to the audience. The cast is a good ensemble cast with some very big names. Keeping a group like this together and then adding to it with more recognizable names is not an easy task.

In the end, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" was a fun escape from reality. The story was cheesy and convenient to inject as many gags and historical references as possible. The previous film's cast was mainly background as Robin Williams was used almost as bookmarks to the film and only Owen Wilson had a large role. There were plenty of new faces introduced and Azaria's latest reuniting with Stiller after the wonderful "Mystery Men" was nicely done. This is a film that is meant to entertain children or those just wanting to laugh and enjoy themselves. It is far from heavy in story and requires an amazing amount of leeway in plot holes and convenient moments from some. You could spend plenty of time picking on the film's shortcomings, but if you look past those and enjoy the film, it is hard to not be entertained.

Rarely will I sit down and watch the sequel to a movie I have never seen. I avoided "Night at the Museum" because it did not appeal to me. However, when the screener arrived last night I decided to watch the film. It should be noted that I was in a decent amount of pain after a dental appointment and wasn't in the best mood to watch a film, but even through the pain, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" made me laugh. A lesser film would have simply been stopped and resumed later. This is not to say the film is a stellar picture. It has some flaws, but I watched the film to be entertained with fun and adventure and I wasn't expecting "Gone With the Wind" or a Best Picture candidate. The film is fun and if that is the expectations, they will be met. The DVD features good sight and sound and some very good bonus features spread over two discs. Toothache or not, this is an enjoyable good time and I'll be heading out to buy the first film this weekend.

(Click thru the Link above for the full review)

—> Visit the film's Official Site »
(from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

—> View the Theatrical Trailer (w/HD) »
(from Apple.com Trailers website)

"Amy Adams is in excellent form as superwoman Earhart... There's a derring-do to her '30s patter laced with words like 'flyboy' and 'skedaddle' and a style that evokes Katharine Hepburn."
—Betsy Sharkey (Los Angeles Times)

"Mr. Azaria is the master of funny voices, and he does fine work... Ms. Adams, impersonating Earhart as a flame-haired screwball-comedy heroine, is entirely delightful."
—A. O. Scott (The New York Times)

Rated PG for mild action and brief language

Film Synopsis:
When the lights go off the battle is on.
History is larger than life—and twice as funny—in this monumental comedy sequel that's "better than the original!" (At the Movies)

Ben Stiller leads an all-star cast (including Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria and Robin Williams) as Larry Daley, a former night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come to life after dark. But now Larry's nocturnal friends are being retired to the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, luring him back for a hilarious, all-out battle against museum misfits who plan to take over the Smithsonian... and the world!

Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, Just Married) directs the sequel of his hit film Night at the Museum. Night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), now a successful entrepreneur, returns to the Museum of Natural History to visit his friends—the exhibits that come to life at night—only to learn that they are being shipped off into deep storage at the Smithsonian Institution. To make matters worse, the exhibits at the Smithsonian, including the pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), are suddenly coming to life—and they aren't at all happy about their new visitors.

Determined to save his friends, Larry rushes to Washington, D.C., and makes his way into the inner workings of the largest museum complex in the world while Kahmunrah recruits the likes of Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Napoleon (Alain Chabat), and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal). Larry, meanwhile, finds himself with spunky Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) as a co-conspirator and love interest, and General Custer (Bill Hader) leading the battle for the Smithsonian.

The stakes are higher in this sequel, where even the paintings on the Smithsonian walls come to life at night. Stiller is his capable deadpan self as the now-successful Larry who finds purpose again while helping his friends, and Adams is spot-on as feisty, adventure-seeking Earhart, complete with period lingo. Azaria is a scene-stealer as Kahmunrah, who is menacing despite his lisp. Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Robin Williams, and Ricky Gervais also reprise their roles in this sequel, which is the first film to be shot at the Smithsonian (Washington DC).