The story starts off some time after what transpired in the first film. Former museum guard Larry Daley has become successful as the creator of certain valuable products as a glow in the dark flashlight. Visiting his old friends - museum exhibits that come to life at night by a mysterious Egyptian artifact - he learns that a huge renovation is happening and most of them will be stored at the Smithsonian. When he gets a hysterical phone call from the miniature cowboy Jedadiah that they are under attack at the Smithsonian, he flies down to Washington D.C. to try and rescue them. What he finds out is that the plaque also has been put into storage, so the same ancient magic works there. Larry's main enemy is Kahmunrah (the voice of Moe, Chief Wiggum, Apu, Carl, Comic Book Guy, Lou, Professor Frink, Superintendent Chalmers, Bumblebee Man, Crazy Old Man, and Dr. Nick Riviera from "The Simpsons," Hank Azaria), the evil brother of the kindhearted Egyptian pharaoh Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) from the first film. David M. Kimmel said in his review, "Sporting an accent borrowed from Boris Karloff, Kahmunrah announces his plans for world domination once he uses the plaque to open the gate to the underworld." Larry's task is to rescue his friends and ruin Kahmunrah, helped by some new friends, including the famous aviator Amelia Earhart, played by Amy Adams.
Since the Smithsonian is a handful of museums around the famous Washington Mall, there's a wide variety of new characters and exhibits which can come to life, from Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial (Azaria) to the famous World War II photograph of a sailor (Clifton McCabe Murray) and a woman (Alberta Mayne) in a loving kiss. While Kahmunrah has the assistance of Napoleon (Alain Chabat), Al Capone (Jon Bernthal) and Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Larry is able to call on the Tuskegee Airmen (Keith Powell and Craig Robinson), General Custer (comedian Bill Hader), and a collection of Albert Einstein bobblehead dolls ("American Pie" actor, Eugene Levy). Returning from the first film are old friends, including Teddy Roosevelt and the Roman officer Octavius.
Kimmel mentioned, "It’s a lot of silly, raucous nonsense, but it makes good use of the change of setting, including setting Octavius in a battle with a squirrel on the White House lawn. Best of all are Azaria, a brilliant comic character actor who has yet to get his due outside of his voicework on “The Simpsons,” and Adams as the feisty Earhart, thrilled to be off on a new adventure."
There's no doubt about it that the first sequel in this trilogy is summer fun, targeted for family audiences. This succeeds as well as it does because of no small part to a smart script and some amazing casting choices. The kids won't be disappointed. Their parents may also enjoy it, as well.
When I saw this in the theaters, I instantly liked this one better. I thought it did a good job telling the next story and I think that it's one of the good sequels ever. If you saw the first movie and liked it, then you should watch this one. You will fall in love with this one as well, I promise you. Although my brother doesn't like that this movie didn't get the geographical accuracy of D.C. right, but I think that's serious nit-picking. Just watch this movie and I promise you, you may like this one over the first.
Look out next week when I talk about the final installment in the "Night at the Museum" trilogy. Is the third movie a shameful installment that is the worst in the series like a bunch of third installments in trilogies or is it actually the definitive cap on the series that ends it off well? Only one way to find out: wait until next week to know what I thought.
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