The Independent Film Forum: 16 - Night at the Museum 2
Our Film Forum is your chance to pass judgement on a recent release. Here's a selection of your views on the comedy sequel to the comedy Night at the Museum: 'Battle of the Smithsonian'
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LN Parks: I went with my son and neither of us was terribly impressed. The humour aimed at parents/adults wears thin fairly quickly and my son just thought it was rather dull. Most of the big name cameos meant nothing to him. Hopefully, this isn't the best of the big summer family films or we'll have to avoid the cinema for a while.
G Gordon: I liked it! A nice, easy, fun popcorn film. Not high art but a great cast and some great performances. Not essential to see it in the cinema but worth watching if you want no-nonsense entertainment.
Terry Burnside: Absolutely terrible. Why make this dross? Will kids like it? I doubt it. Poor gags , a dull story and little life. And there was very little to entertain adults. What shame, too, to see classy actors like Amy Adams in this. There's nothing wrong with making a Hollywood movie for a nice pay-cheque but they could have at least put her talents to good use.
Chicunique: In this sequel, all the action takes place in Washington's Smithsonian Art Museum and this is what makes it more interesting because the artefacts are more familiar, including Rodin's 'Thinker' (who is, hilariously, a bit thick). If Tim Burton rewound 40 years and made movies, he would make films like this: serenading cherubs; lurching and heaving woolly mammoths; and a giant-size moving statue of Abraham Lincoln. The humour of this film hangs largely (and loosely) on historical facts and figures which makes it entertaining for closet geeks, and also brilliant for children as they can learn as they laugh. Ben Stiller does a fabulous turn as a lisping, British-sounding, dress-wearing, ancient Egyptian with megalomaniacal tendencies. He meanders from comical to evil in the glint of a kohl-less Egyptian eye.
Next week: The next film up for discussion in the Independent Film Forum will be 'Drag Me to Hell'. Has Sam Raimi, creator of the 'Evil Dead' franchise, made a triumphant return to horror after 15 years or have his interim years directing the 'Spider-Man' movies softened him up? What did you think of Alison Lohman? Add your comments at www.independent.co.uk/filmforum and we'll print the best next week.
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