NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN — ★★ — Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria; rated PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity, slurs, nude artwork); in general release.
Ben Stiller doesn't have a great track record with movie sequels.
He followed his 2000 comedy hit "Meet the Parents" with the painfully unfunny comedy "Meet the Fockers" in 2004. And last year's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" was a pale imitation of its animated predecessor, 2005's "Madagascar."
So it's not a huge surprise that "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" — an unnecessary sequel to Stiller's 2006 smash "Night at the Museum" — is so half-hearted and so haphazard.
Perhaps it should have been titled either "Night at the Museum: We're Doing It for the Money" or "Night at the Museum: Contractually Obligated Sequel," instead.
Stiller reprises his role as Larry Daley. Larry has actually quit his night watchman job at the National Museum of Natural History and is now a successful business owner.
However, he returns to the museum when he discovers that most of the exhibits are either being replaced or going to be stored by the Smithsonian Institution. What's worse, the magical tablet that brought those exhibits to life has now revived an evil Egyptian pharaoh, Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), who wants to create an army of the dead and take over the world.
Larry and his pals — who are joined by Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) and Gen. George Armstrong Custer (Bill Hader) — must stop that from happening.
Adams' spunky performance as the famous female aviator suggests that she may be the only person here who is having much fun.
Stiller is simply going through the motions, while Azaria recites his lines with a speech impediment that's supposed to be funny. (Memo to Azaria: It's not funny, and neither is your goofy voice work as both Rodin's "Thinker" statue and the Lincoln Monument.)
Director Shawn Levy also throws in pointless cameos by Clint Howard, George Foreman, Jonah Hill, the Jonas Brothers (as the voices of singing cherubs) and "Reno: 911!" stars Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, who also wrote this unoriginal mess.
That means returning co-stars Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Robin Williams don't get enough to do. And wily pros Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney are sorely missed.
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" is rated PG for violent action and imagery (sword battles, spear tossing, animal violence and vehicular mayhem), scattered profanity (mostly religiously based), some suggestive language and innuendo, derogatory language and slurs, and glimpses of nude artwork (statues). Running time: 105 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com