Seen on: May 22, 2009

The players: Director: Shawn Levy, Writers: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Cast: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan

Facts of interest: Shawn Levy also directed "Night at the Museum" and "Cheaper by the Dozen."

The plot: This time, Ben Stiller heads to the Smithsonian, where he has to rescue his pals from the hands of an evil Egyptian leader.

Our quick thoughts: Having two monkeys repeatedly slap Ben Stiller is not exactly my idea of great humor, but that’s exactly what you get in Shawn Levy’s “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” an unnecessary sequel that I cannot help but count among the most boring films I’ve seen so far this year.

One of the movie’s biggest flaws is its unsurprising, underdeveloped script, which offers audiences a story as bland as you can imagine. I don’t know about you, but watching Ben Stiller just run around the Smithsonian for almost 105 minutes is not exactly what I call first-class entertainment.

First of all, the film’s plot is neither suspenseful nor in any way funny. There’s absolutely nothing intriguing about Larry Daley’s mission to rescue Jedediah from the hands of the ruthless Egyptian leader Kahmunrah, and both the film’s action moments and the countless attempts at humor totally fall flat.

Unfortunately, “Battle of the Smithsonian” reeks of constant improvisation, and neither Stiller nor his co-actors ever hit the right note. On the contrary, most jokes in this flick are more lifeless and embarrassing than hilarious, and I found it impossible to respond to this wave of bad gags with a smile or laughter.

To the film’s credit, young kids may not mind the bad improvs and lack of a solid story line, because “Smithsonian” still offers enough loud museum action with tons of new creatures and historical figures coming to life. But for those expecting a little more than bad dialogue, decent effects and so-so performances, Levy’s sequel is not worth the time or money.

Freaky quote: “Is that you breathing? Because I can't hear myself think! There's too much going on here; you're asthmatic, you're a robot. And why the cape? Are we going to the opera? I don't think so." – Hank Azaria

The final word: I honestly don’t know what else to tell you about this one. I obviously didn’t enjoy this second “Night at the Museum” for several reasons, and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who plans to have an exciting time at the movies this weekend. The summer movie season is still young, and I guess things can only improve from here.

Article by Franck Tabouring