Year Released: 2009
IMDb link
Venue Viewed: Field of Scenes Drive-In
Plot: Former Museum of Natural History night guard Larry (Ben Stiller) has moved onto bigger and better things - namely a booming business of inventing and selling things he may have found useful in his former job (glow in the dark flashlight, un-removeable key ring...) When he discovers that due to "renovations" the collection of characters and artifacts we saw come to life in the first installment are to be moved to the archives in Washington DC, he tries to stop it. He fails, but later receives a desperate phone call from Jedediah (Owen Wilson's tiny cowboy character.) Apparently Ahkmenrah has an evil brother, Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria in another role with a strange accent), who plans to use the tablet to open the doors to the underworld and take over the world. You know, typical bad guy motives. It's up to Larry to stop him and the goons he recruits, including Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon, and Al Capone. Other new characters include Amy Adam's as a curiously suggestive Amelia Earhart, a giant octopus, General Custer (Bill Hader), a giant Abe Lincoln, a trio of semi-creepy cupids (voiced by none other than the Jonas Bros), and a bevy of bobble-head Einsteins.
Comments: This sequel is just as good as the original, which is more than a lot of sequels can claim. Yes, there is stupid humor. Yes, there is monkey slapping. But it's all in good fun. Plus, to some extent one could claim this film is educational since you get to hear all about various historical figures. Hmmm. I wonder how many kids used that excuse to get to go see it? Genius.
