Night and the Museum

Night at the Museum 2, as you might guess, has a lot in common with Night at the Museum. Ben Stiller is no longer a loser/slacker/night watchman. He is now the CEO of a company that makes quirky novelties. But when he finds out that the animated exhibits that he befriended are being loaned to the Smithsonian, along with the Egyptian tablet that animates them, he heads to the Capital.

Tiny cowboy Owen Wilson and his centurion buddy Steve Coogan are back, as well as many others, including the capuchin monkey. Stiller has a new buddy, Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), who doesn't do much but wear super-tight slacks and say old-fashioned things like "Criminy!" and "you've got moxie, kid!" I know she's supposed to be annoying, but that doesn't make her less annoying. Ricky Gervais is back as the director of the Natural History Museum, and Jonah Hill does his Jonah Hill impression as a security guard.

Aside from the whole plot, Stiller's character arc isn't from quitter/loser to self-made man. This time it is from workaholic exec to caring friend and father. The moral is not too heavy handed.

I'm not sure this was as fun as the first, but maybe I'm missing the magic of first discovering the museum come alive. Any way, pretty funny and worth watching if you liked the first one, or if you just like museums.