Synopsis

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. Larry has left behind the low-paying world of museum guard to become a sought-after inventor of Daley Devices infomercial products. But somethings missing in his life, and it draws him back to his old haunt: The Museum of Natural History, where he will make a very unsettling discovery.

What Do The Critics Say

"Battle of the Smithsonian is far from art, but there's plenty of art in it, and for parents seeking a reasonable afternoon's entertainment for the kids, that's recommendation enough." Moira MacDonald SEATTLE TIMES "Maybe not as fresh and unique as the first one, the sequel has enough laugh-out-loud moments to enjoy. Kids are going to eat it up." Kit Bowen THE MOVIE KIT "Upstaging its predecessor with colorful new characters and energy the kids will love." Jolene Mendez ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM "This is a funnier and more coherent slice of kids’ entertainment." Derek Adams TIME OUT "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian throws everything: history, high jinks, lots of famous faces in supporting roles, at the museum walls to see what sticks. Happily, much of it does. Workmanlike Stiller mostly serves as straight man to Adams and the hilarious Azaria." Carla Meyer SACRAMENTO BEE "Battle of the Smithsonian is packed with odd characters, eccentric arguments and ornate special effects, and while it's never transcendently funny enough to be seriously impressive, it is chock full of family-friendly giggles." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS

"They fixed everything I found wrong with its predecessor, so I can only assume the filmmakers read my review and addressed my concerns point by point." Fred Topel CAN MAGAZINE "Kids should still get a kick out of this Museum, but adults may have a harder time finding something worth laughing at this time around." Rebecca Murray ABOUT.COM "Unlike most sequels, this 'bigger, busier' strategy pays off, resulting in a romp that’s as affable as it is inventive." Ed Potton THE UK TIMES "A comedy adventure that the whole family can enjoy, right down to the age of five." Christopher Tookey UK DAILY MAIL It never quite finds its comic footing, but kids will probably love it: they might even learn a thing or two. Ultimately, it's Amy Adams and Shawn Levy's FX team who save the day." Edward Douglas COMINGSOON "Smithsonian whips itself into a kind of frenzied exhilaration that's both fun and funny." Justin Strout ORLANDO WEEKLY "Kids are well served with slapstick hi-jinks and mild peril but there are too few laugh out loud moments to keep adults entertained." Simon Thompson HEART 106.2

The Inside Story The 2006 smash hit "Night at the Museum" ($US574,480,841 worldwide gross) raised a burning question that anyone who has ever entered a museum has, as some time or other wondered: what happens to all the displays in a museum when the lights go out and the visitors go home? The delightfully imaginative answer brought to life a host of irreverently funny, endearing and clever characters straight from history in an adventure that featured Neanderthals, Attila The Hun, Cowboys, a U.S. President, Dinosaurs and Easter Island statues. All came together with a night guard who was able to triumph for the first time in his life after discovering the power of knowledge and the pleasures of unexpected friendships. But where could Larry Daley possibly go from there? For the filmmakers of "Night at the Museum", if Larry was going to take another amazing journey they knew it had to be a big step up: in size, in adventure and in the stakes Larry would face. But how do you get any more gargantuan than New York’s American Museum of Natural History located at Central Park West and 79th Street in New York City, NY 10024-5192, USA? Where could they find an even bigger museum, one that was teeming with an even more astonishing array of exhibits: from prehistoric creatures to medieval artworks to Space Age rockets; and where the potential for thrills, comedy and the ultimate test of Larry’s loyalty and courage would be off the charts if it all suddenly came to life? There was only one answer, and it led straight to the capital of the United States (Washington D.C.) and the only museum funded by the U.S. taxpayers: the magnificent Smithsonian Institution. "Night at the Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian" marks the first action-adventure film ever shot at the U.S.A’s premiere museum complex (which was founded in 1846 with a mysterious $US500,000 bequest from the British scientist James Smithson who, though he never stepped foot in the U.S., wanted the country to have a special place devoted to the "increase and diffusion of knowledge."), the Smithsonian Institution, the largest and most visited museum in the world, which by the way boasts nineteen museums, nine research centers and over one hundred and fourty affiliate museums around the world. "We wanted everything we did in the first movie to be not only bigger but better in the second," 2002 Directors Guild of Canada Team Award winner Shawn Levy (TV'S "Jett Jackson: The Movie") explained. "We wanted a journey for Larry that would be even more captivating, that would help him find his way back to the better self he got a glimpse of in Night at the Museum. Ben Stiller and I had always agreed that we wouldn’t continue this tale unless we had a great new story: so when the idea came up of taking Larry and his friends to the Smithsonian, we knew this was it. We couldn’t have been more excited." For the filmmakers, the very notion of using the Smithsonian not just as the backdrop but also as the very core of a grand comic adventure was like letting hungry kids loose in a candy shop. It reignited the collective passion of the entire original team, including screenwriters Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, who adapted the beloved children’s book by Milan Trenc, infusing it with their own spirited humor to create the first "Night at the Museum". As far as Lennon and Garant ("Herbie Fully Loaded") were concerned, the larger the museum, the greater the opportunities for magical encounters, surprise battles and irresistible storytelling. "Unlike the Museum of Natural History, which is all under one roof, the Smithsonian is spread out all over the National Mall," Garant says. "We were faced with the extraordinary challenge of figuring out how to tell a story that would move through the entire complex without it being one non-stop chase." In the end, the writing duo narrowed the bulk of the story’s action down to a few of the most alluring areas of the Smithsonian’s museum complex: The Air and Space Museum (the most visited museum in the world), the Smithsonian Castle, and The Lincoln Memorial. "When we wrote "Night at the Museum", all we thought about was writing a fun, action-packed movie everyone would love. We took that same approach in thinking about how to use the Smithsonian as our setting," Lennon (who plays Doug in "I Love You, Man") explained. The Air and Space Museum’s tribute to adventurous aviator Amelia Earhart and the cherry red Lockheed Vega (in which she made her record-breaking flight across the Atlantic) opened up a new possibilty for the writers: romance. "From the moment we saw the Amelia Earhart display in the Air & Space Museum, we knew she would be the female character who helps Larry find his way home, literally and metaphorically," says Lennon. Garant and Lennon had a blast with Amelia’s moxie-filled banter, marked by a vintage love witty turns of phrase, and peppered with 'boffos', 'chin ups' and 'skidaddles'. "We thought about her talking sort of like how Katharine Hepburn might talk in a Howard Hawks movie," says Garant. "It was so fun to write dialogue like that from the grand movies of that era." Director Shawn Levy ("Cheaper by the Dozen" & "Big Fat Liar") knew that the believability of Larry’s second adventure would hinge once again on 2001 American Comedy Award winner Ben Stiller ("Meet The Parents"). After going on to direct and star in one of 2008’s most acclaimed R-rated comedy hits "Tropic Thunder", Stiller was excited to return to the more innocent world of the museum. "Ben and I were really thrown into the first movie barely knowing each other," says Levy, "but now there’s a lot of trust and comfort between us: which gives you more freedom. There was a sense of going into something even bigger for both of us." For Stiller, the chance to reprise the role of Larry inside the Smithsonian was a childhood fantasy realized. "The Smithsonian was always my favorite museum. I’ll always remember going there as a kid because they had the U.S.S. Enterprise from Star Trek there." There was also another big draw for Stiller in Larry’s new adventure: a love connection with one of history’s most alluring and mysterious women, Amelia Earhart. "The first movie was kind of lonely because it was Larry against the exhibits. But this time Larry has someone to run around the Smithsonian with and that made it so much more fun." And did he feel the same about reuniting with those pesky Capuchin monkeys? "I was only semi-excited about that because I had traumatic memories from the first experience. I will say that Crystal is a true professional but she does not know how to 'fake' a punch." To play Amelia with style, Levy knew he would need an actress with extra helpings of charisma and class. He found it in abundance with 2006 & '09, Academy Award® nominee and 2006 Independent Spirit Award winning actress Amy Adams ("Junebug"). "Amy brings a great deal of wit and a real sense of life to the role of Amelia Earhart," Levy notes. Stiller notes, "She also brings a great prettiness to the movie." "She’s one of the coolest, strongest female characters I’ve seen in a movie in a long, long time," Levy says. "Most people remember Amelia as the woman pilot who tragically got lost over the Pacific, but there’s so much more to her," says Adams ("Charlie Wilson's War" & "Enchanted"). "In a time when people needed something to believe in, she became the hope of the nation." Ironically, Adams suffers from Aerophobia. "I’m afraid of flying," she revealed. "I might not be as physically adventurous as Amelia Earhart but I’m not afraid to take chances in life, either." To play 3000 year old Kahmunrah, Levy chose four time Emmy Award winner and 1997 Screen Actors Guild Award winner ("The Bird Cage"), Hank Azaria. The film marks the fourth time Azaria has starred with Stiller ("Along Came Polly", "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" & "Mystery Men"). "Hank can basically do anything with voices and characterizations," says Stiller, "and with Kahmunrah he found the perfect balance between playing a truly evil villain and being really funny, too." Azaria says Kahmunrah was "a lot of fun to play because he’s so arch and evil and he’s always making these large pronouncements. He has a kind of Boris Karloff delivery, where he’s trying very hard to be scary but in the modern world it comes off as a bit more like amusing. The trick was to be menacing and silly all at the same time." Azaria revealed he got a kick out of trying to keep Stiller’s character Larry Daley out of his way. "I was actually trying to make Ben laugh during the takes, because I knew if I could get through to him, I was doing pretty well." To help in his attempt to take over the museum (and eventually the world) Kahmunrah recruits a trio of terrors from among the museum’s exhibits: Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon Bonaparte and Al Capone. Acclaimed director and actor Christopher Guest ("This is Spinal Tap", "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", "A Mighty Wind" & "For Your Consideration") was cast as Ivan the Terrible. One of France’s most acclaimed comedy stars and a Hollywood newcomer, 1998 César Award winner Alain Chabat ("Didier") was cast as Napoleon Bonaparte. "I play Napoleon as a short-tempered, really nervous, very loud, little man with a very huge hat and some height issues. Basically, these three villains each have a lot of ego and a lot of attitude." For Levy ("Just Married"), "It was a great opportunity to have Napoleon played by a real Frenchman." Jon Bernthal, a fast-rising young star best known for the sit-com "The Class", was cast as the notorious Chicago gangland boss Al Capone. "I wanted to play on this idea that Al’s extremely intense and takes himself way too seriously," Bernthal ("World Trade Centre") explained. Another new character in "NATM2", is a man who remains best known for his biggest failure: General George Armstrong Custer, the Civil War military leader whose loss at the Battle of Little Bighorn would forever be known as Custer’s Last Stand. "I knew as soon as I read the script I wanted to be a part of this movie. Truth was that Custer was an insanely vain guy," says Hader ("Superbad"). "So it makes sense that he would be so self-conscious about his downfall." There was an added bonus. "Watching guys like Hank Azaria and Christopher Guest is a comedy geek’s wildest dream," he said. If you want to discover more about "Night at the Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian" ( which was filmed during business hours), visit the interactive sites and artifacts that inspired the film, on Smithsonian's official site. The Verdict "This second Larry Daley adventure is aimed fairly and squarely at families and younger cinemagoers. Without harping on about sequels and how hard it is to recapture the excitement and vibrancey of an original, "Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian" definately tries hard to and, almost succeeds. The CGI special effects are excellent, as are the new characters fans of the first film and newcomers to the franchise will be introduced to. "Enchanted" star Amy Adams is superb as the fiesty Amelia Earhart, while Ben Azaria steals every scene he appears in as the over the top Kahmunrah. While 'NATM2' is sure to draw squeals of delight and a solid reaction from it's target audience of kids, it might not achieve the same response from adults. Older viewers will probably appreciate the crisper, slightly dramatic moments more to their liking rather than the final act which gets a little cluttered. Never the less, it is entertaining and certainly worth a look at. The big question is: will there be another adventure and will love bloom for Larry Daley? 3 1/2 STARS." Who Plays Who?

Ben Stiller Amy Adams Owen Wilson Hank Azaria Robin Williams Christopher Guest Alain Chabat Steve Coogan Ricky Gervais Bill Hader Jon Bernthal Patrick Gallagher Jake Cherry Rami Malek Mizuo Peck Kerry van der Griend Matthew Harrison Rick Dobran Randy Lee Darryl Quon Gerald Wong Paul Chih-Ping Cheng Jay Baruchel Mindy Kaling George Foreman

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Larry Daley Amelia Earhart Jedediah Smith Kahmunrah/The Thinker/ Abe Lincoln Teddy Roosevelt Ivan the Terrible Napoleon Bonaparte Octavius Dr McPhee General Custer Al Capone Attila the Hun Nicky Daley Ahkmenrah Sacajawea Neanderthal #1 Neanderthal #2 Neanderthal #3 Hun #1 Hun #2 Hun #3 Hun #4 Sailor Joey Motorola Docent Himself

The Production Team

Director Written by Characters by Producers Original Music Director of photography Film Editors Casting Production Designer Art Direction Supervising Art Director Set Decoration

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Shawn Levy Written by Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon Michael Barnathan/Chris Columbus Shawn Levy/Mark Radcliffe Alan Silvestri John Schwartzman Dean Zimmerman & Don Zimmerman Heike Brandstatter & Coreen Mayrs Claude Paré Michael Diner/Anthony Dunne/Grant Van Der Slagt Helen Jarvis Lin MacDonald

Run Time 105 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2009 - Twntieth Century Fox Films - All Rights Reserved ©1999-2009 All Rights Reserved The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.