Much of the fun of the first movie was the awe and wonder of seeing the museum exhibits come to life. Theodore Roosevelt, miniature-size General Octavius, and the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex all going from mere statues to living, breathing and moving beings really held your attention throughout. But here it's a case of been there, done that. And no amount of chasing, explosions, flying planes, and giant squids is going to change that. The sense of imagination, even if plenty is on display here, isn't as refreshing or wondrous as it was the first time, and that is what ultimately holds Battle of the Smithsonian back.
The mentioned exhibits of Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams, who isn't as fun to watch as he was last time) and Octavius (a wasted Steve Coogan), as well as the giant squid and Tyrannosaurus Rex are all back. Also joining Stiller once again (who is kind of interchangeable and flat as our hero) is Owen Wilson (watchable as ever) as the miniature cowboy Jedediah and Ricky Gervais has a quick appearance as the museum manager he played in the first movie. The additions are abundant, and are what provides a lot of the fun there is to be had with this sequel. Most notable are Bill Hader as one of the film's highlights, playing an incompetent General Custer, Christopher Guest as Ivan the Terrible, John Bernthal as Al Capone, and Alain Chabat as Napoleon Bonaparte (a bickering argument scene between the latter three is one of only two scenes that are genuinely hilarious). Amy Adams joins in on the action here, bringing Amelia Earhart (the first woman to fly over the Atlantic) to sweet, joyful, fun-filled life.
However, without the doubt the absolute highlight of the proceedings and almost a reason on its own to bother with the movie is Hank Azaria as the evil, power hungry Kahmunrah (he also showcases his amazing voice acting talent when voicing Abraham Lincoln and The Thinker). He plays the part with a dry, on-the-ball, sardonic wit that proves just how talented of a comedic performer he really is. With impectable comedic timing, he is over-the-top and campy as the film's villain, which is exactly what this type of movie needed. His extravagant world dominance plot reflects the nature of the film in general with it's abundance of special effects and manic, flamboyant action sequences. A scene in which he is threatening Stiller's character and warning him not to touch an item he is holding in his hand is the other hilarious scene of which I mentioned, something which is sadly a rarity within it's 105-minute runtime.
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