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Night at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian."
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Metascore®42 out of 100 | Mixed or average reviews

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Battle of the Smithsonian has plenty of life. But it's Adams who gives it zing. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Tribune | Michael Phillips

    Nothing elegant about Adams here, but she's terrific -- a sparkling screen presence. Her Earhart hoists this big-budget sequel above the routine. Read full review

  • 70
    Village Voice | Michelle Orange

    Though it's a little slow to start and some of the humor clunks, the film features a wholesome charm, some truly dazzling effects (the Lincoln Memorial alone is worth it), and enough mild, parent-nip in-jokes to keep all but the stone-hearted happy. Read full review

  • 50
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Resembles an enthusiastic but undisciplined child running amok through an exhibit. Read full review

  • 50
    ReelViews | James Berardinelli

    It's harmless. And pointless. And dumb. This is a perfect example of a motion picture that exists exclusively because its predecessor made a lot of money. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    Shallow and harmlessly diverting picture. Read full review

  • 50
    Variety | Lael Loewenstein

    Where the original had a vaguely tenable narrative hook (deadbeat dad finds redemption through nocturnal heroics), the new pic seems purely a vehicle for lavish visuals and cheap gags. Read full review

  • 40
    Los Angeles Times | Betsy Sharkey

    It's not so much a movie as a series of running antiquity gags, good for a comedy club, not so much for the multiplex. Read full review

  • 38
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Oh, did I dislike this film. It made me squirm. Its premise is lame, its plot relentlessly predictable, its characters with personalities that would distinguish picture books. Read full review

  • 25
    The Onion (A.V. Club) | Scott Tobias

    It’s a busier and less coherent film, too, with a baffling master plot and a crowded pileup of special effects in search of something to do. Read full review