DVDs in Review

Night at the Museum 2

Title: Night at the Museum 2 (2009)

Release date: November 9 2009

Certificate: PG

Format: Reviewed on DVD, available on Blu-ray

DVD RRP: £19.99

Rating: 2/5

Ben Stiller and pals reunite in this sequel to the hit 'Night at the Museum', which again casts the funny man as security guard Larry Daley who has to cope when the museum exibits start coming to life all around him.

This time the action shifts to the epic Smithsonian museum in Washington DC as all his friends from the previous outing are being shipped there. Really, all that's happening is the filmmakers have gone for a slightly different set this time around.

The statues begin to wake up and clash over their new territory, in the form of resurrected historical greats include Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), General Custer (Bill Hader), Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Octavius (Steve Coogan) and Albert Einstein (Eugene Levy) and the evil Pharaoh Kah Mun Rah (Hank Azaria).

It's a fantastic cast who are thrown into a potentially inventive and fun scenario, and one in which their combined talent could create some real magic, but the script simply isn't there for them to play with. 'Night at the Museum 2' feels like a computer game filled with running around and obstacles but little depth.

What really doesn't help is that the characterizations are so stereotypical. This certainly isn't a history lesson for the kids, but it will keep them entertained. As a film, it's little more than a cash-in re-hash but it's a lively, jovial one at that, and one which the family won't mind sitting around to.

It's a shame that the script didn't get as much attention as the special effects or casting - Amy Adams is very likeable as the high-spirited pilot Amelia Earhart for example, and no matter how bloated the technical effects are, they do create a certain amount of magic.

Take it with a large pinch of salt, and you'll have a fun, harmless night at the museum yourselves. The DVD from 20th Century Fox contains a digital copy of the film which you can upload onto your computer and take with you. For a family film like this, it's a good idea as it may help keep the kids occupied on long car journeys!