Netflix Self-Torture Experiment Trilogy #57 - Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian

The original Night at the Museum wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t good, either—and sequels are almost always worse than their predecessors.

Synopsis from Netflix: Ben Stiller returns as hapless museum night watchman Larry Daley in this sequel to the hit comedy. Though he’s now working at the Smithsonian Institution, Daley continues to deal with exhibits that come to life while the museum is closed. His adventures this time include close encounters with Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), George Custer (Bill Hader) and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest). Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais and Dick Van Dyke co-star.

My thoughts: Well, consider me pleasantly surprised; I actually kind of liked this movie. Under the circumstances, though, I guess I should say I’m unpleasantly surprised since the whole idea of the self-torture experiment is not to like the films involved. Oh well.

There were three main things about Night at the Museum 2 which I found enjoyable:

  1. Jonah Hill was pretty funny in his cameo as the Smithsonian night watchman. Something about that dude just makes me laugh.
  2. Amy Adams was absolutely great as Amelia Earhart. Sometimes I forget how much I love her as an actress.
  3. The scenes which involved the Lincoln Memorial coming to life seriously brought back good memories of the time my buddies and I tripped our way through DC on the Fourth of July. (Pro tip: when you’re under the influence, do NOT get off the Metro at the Pentagon stop. There is some seriously bad mojo there and it seemingly takes forever to escape its looming shadow.)

I don’t really know what to say because I always feel bad when one of these movies turns out better than expected. Although it’s only happened three times out of 56 so far this year, I just wish I could give every film an excoriating review that would be much funnier to read. Hopefully tomorrow will give us better luck. [Three out of five stars.]

5 Notes/ Hide

  1. girl-non-grata said: Once in DC, I got lost around the Pentagon and could NOT find a way out. Actually had to ask a security officer for help. It was WEIRD.
  2. spdracerx posted this