The aim of any sequel, particularly an imagination-fuelled blockbuster like this, is surely to give us something bigger and better than what we got the first time, perhaps expanding on things that weren't delved as deeply before. Sadly, that's not the case with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. There is only the addition and return of some of the finest comedic actors working today and some fun segments here and there that make this, frankly, unneeded sequel in any way worthwhile.
Battle of the Smithsonian picks up several years after the events of the first Night at the Museum, when Ben Stiller's Larry Daley is now a successful businessman. He still visits the museum every now and then, but as his invention business gets more and more successful, the less time he has to visit his old museum buddies. But one day when he drops by, he finds that most of the exhibits are being replaced in favour of new high-tech projection versions, and set to be stored indefinitely in the archives of the Smithsonian museum in Washington.
However, when Larry discovers that the tablet which brings the exhibits to life has accidentally made its way to the Smithsonian, he travels there to save his old exhibit buddies and help stop the havoc which will arise when the largest museum in the world comes to life. Once there, he encounters Kahmunrah who after coming back to life is threatening world domination through use of the tablet.
What happens when a big-budget kid-friendly fantasy/action film like Night at the Museum makes almost $600 million worldwide in revenue? Well, you get a sequel, that's what. Increasing the budget from the already-staggering $110 million to $125 million, this sequel is bigger, louder, faster, and more extravagant than the first one. However, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better, and in a much ironic way, the expanded mentality of this sequel actually hinders rather than helps matters.
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