History repeats itself

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/05/2009 (6266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The production design is divine. The intent is altogether noble. The actors are uniformly committed to the moment, and yet Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian feels a bit like strolling a mile-long gallery on a hard marble floor.

Not only is it a little draining, but there’s a lingering sense of emptiness between the frames.

The less sensitive types probably won’t notice the long stretches of silence between lines of dialogue or the half-dead emotional tone — not to mention the endless stream of computer-generated images.

It’s all just a little out of whack, but for a movie hinged on the idea that inanimate art exhibits come to life when the sun goes down, the dislocated feeling kind of works.

The other thing that works is the fundamentally giddy feeling of watching history come to life with a whole lot of attitude.

In the last film, we watched Larry (Ben Stiller) wallow around in self-pity until he lands a job at the Museum of Natural History as a night watchman. Soon after, he discovers the entire museum is under an ancient Egyptian spell that re-animates the dead at sundown. Thanks to his life-or-death encounters with the people and things that shaped human history, Larry leaves the first picture a transformed human being.

Yet, when we see Larry at the top of the reel in this latest encounter, he’s just as lost — even if he is crazy rich.

Larry has made a fortune selling and patenting nutty inventions, but he feels something missing, so he makes a visit to his old stomping grounds in the hopes of gleaning a lesson or two from old Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams).

When he arrives at the central foyer, he discovers half his favourite characters have been crated and sent on their way to the Smithsonian archive. Hoping to save his old buddies, Larry heads to D.C. with the aim of rescuing them from the bubble wrap.

By the time he marches into the museum, the evil Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria) has already taken measures to secure the magic tablet that opens the door to his underground army. Only Larry can save humanity from the clutches of evil, but he enlists a few friendly soldiers along the way.

Among his newly animated recruits are Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), Abe Lincoln, bobblehead Einstein dolls, Rodin’s Thinker and a kind space monkey.

These characters bring charm and quirk to the mix, but the screenwriters really didn’t go out of their way to include any bona fide historical fact to the pages, and this is probably the film’s single biggest disappointment.

If you’re going to the trouble to animate the Lincoln Memorial, and bring a large marble Honest Abe to life, it seems like an ideal opportunity to sneak a little educational content between the fades.

Why not have Lincoln discuss his thoughts on freedom or leadership style, instead of using him as the equivalent of T-Rex? It would have made for a richer experience, and one that lived up to the very premise of the movie.

Battle of the Smithsonian still finds enough good jokes and goofy humour to amuse kids, but it may leave the adult audience feeling as if they just slept through history class with their eyes open. 

— Canwest News Service

 

Other Voices

Selected excerpts from reviews of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

 

Bigger, longer, and even more chaotically crowded (more stars! more F/X!) than its predecessor, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian proves that adding another ring doesn’t make for a better circus.

— Lael Loewenstein, Variety

 

A romp that’s as affable as it is inventive.

— Ed Potton, Times of London

 

Battle of the Smithsonian has plenty of life. But it’s (Amy) Adams who gives it zing.

— Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

 

A fistful of family fun… brimming with amusing lines, great effects and a series of smart cameo performances.

— Mark Adams, Daily Mirror

Oh, did I dislike this film. It made me squirm. Its premise is lame, its plot relentlessly predictable.

— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

 

Though it’s a little slow to start and some of the humour clunks, the film features a wholesome charm, some truly dazzling effects (the Lincoln Memorial alone is worth it), and enough mild, parent-nip in-jokes to keep all but the stone-hearted happy.

— Michelle Orange, Village Voice

 

How can one movie contain Ricky Gervais, Hank Azaria, Steve Coogan, Amy Adams, Christopher Guest, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Jay Baruchel and Craig Robinson while offering so very little in the way of laughs?

— Alonso Duralde, MSNBC

 

— Compiled by Canwest News Service

 

Movie Review

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Starring Ben Stiller and Amy Adams

Grant Park, Kildonan Place, Polo Park, St. Vital, Towne

PG

2-1⁄2 stars out of five

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