Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

FILM:

• Big Fat Liar
• Cheaper by the Dozen
• Just Married
• The Pink Panther

• Internet Movie Database
• Night at the Museum
• Official Studio Site

MPAA RATING: PG for mild action and brief language

StarringBen Stiller,Amy Adams,Owen Wilson,Hank Azaria,Christopher Guest,Alain Chabat,Robin Williams, andJonah Hill

Night has fallen upon the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The guides have gone home, the lights are out, the school kids are tucked in their beds...yet something incredible is stirring as former night guard Larry Daley finds himself lured into his biggest, most imagination-boggling adventure yet in which history truly comes alive. In this second installment of the Night at the Museum saga, Larry faces a battle so epic it could only unfold in the corridors of the world’s largest museum. Now, Larry must try to save his formerly inanimate friends from what could be their last stand amid the wonders of the Smithsonian, all of which, from the famous paintings on the walls to the rocket ships in the halls, suddenly have a mind of their own. (20th Century Fox)

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review.Learn more...

83

Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman

Battle of the Smithsonian has plenty of life. But it's Adams who gives it zing.

75

Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips

Nothing elegant about Adams here, but she's terrific -- a sparkling screen presence. Her Earhart hoists this big-budget sequel above the routine.

75

Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach

Takes a great idea -- what if the inhabitants of a museum came to life at night? -- and milks it for every drop of fun it's worth.

70

Village VoiceMichelle Orange

Though it's a little slow to start and some of the humor 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.

60

EmpireHelen O'Hara

It’s funnier this time, but still veers noticeably from kid-friendly slapstick to adult-friendly banter.

60

The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen

Some of that frenetic running around has been replaced by inspired effects sequences and amusing riffs by the talented cast, especially new arrivals Hank Azaria and Amy Adams.

60

New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman

Far surpasses original.

58

Portland OregonianM. E. Russell

Your 12-and-unders will dig it, and it might even serve as a sort of movie-Bookmobile and get them to read a little history, or at least a little Wikipedia. But otherwise it's utterly dispensable.

50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate Taylor

Unfortunately, once these creatures do come to life for a second outing, the promise soon evaporates and the clever comedy, built largely on crisscrossing anachronisms and various sly cultural references, is not enough to sustain a romp that is all rather predictable.

50

The New York TimesA.O. Scott

Shallow and harmlessly diverting picture.

50

San Francisco ChronicleAmy Binacolli

Some of the results are delightfully loopy. Some are cornball.

50

Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea

The problem with NATM:BOTS is that Stiller, Adams, and company seem to be pretending that they're having fun, too.

50

VarietyLael Loewenstein

Where the original had a vaguely tenable narrative hook (deadbeat dad finds redemption through nocturnal heroics), the new pic seems purely a vehicle for lavish visuals and cheap gags.

50

ReelViewsJames Berardinelli

It's harmless. And pointless. And dumb. This is a perfect example of a motion picture that exists exclusively because its predecessor made a lot of money.

50

USA TodayClaudia Puig

Resembles an enthusiastic but undisciplined child running amok through an exhibit.

50

Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

Beware of idiocy's charms.

50

TV GuidePerry Seibert

Without Azaria's comedic gifts, the movie would be close to unendurable.

42

Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer

Being touted as the first film ever shot in the Smithsonian complex. With any luck, it will also be the last. This is not the best use of our landmarks.

40

Washington PostDan Kois

The museum sparkles, but the movie is awfully dull.

40

Los Angeles TimesBetsy Sharkey

It's not so much a movie as a series of running antiquity gags, good for a comedy club, not so much for the multiplex.

40

Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall

Bloated with visual effects, this sequel to the 2006 hit starts off slowly, reintroducing the original characters.

38

Rolling StonePeter Travers

The money shots of the living tableau are padded with jokes that feel embalmed before the actors get them out of their mouths.

38

Boston GlobeTy Burr

It's bigger, noisier, shinier, and dumber, and it has no earthly reason to exist.

38

Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert

Oh, did I dislike this film. It made me squirm. Its premise is lame, its plot relentlessly predictable, its characters with personalities that would distinguish picture books.

25

Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez

Even Ben Stiller looks bored out of his mind in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, and he got paid several million dollars to star in it.

25

The Onion (A.V. Club)Scott Tobias

It’s a busier and less coherent film, too, with a baffling master plot and a crowded pileup of special effects in search of something to do.

25

New York PostLou Lumenick

Seems to go on for several days and nights, though in fact it lasts just 105 minutes. I checked my watch. A lot.

25

PremiereStaff (Not credited)

Feels like a re-hash.