Night At The Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian

Director: Shawn Levy
Writers: Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant
Starring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ben Stiller and director Shawn Levy are back for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the second installment of the franchise. I didn’t enjoy this film nearly as much as the first, and I can tell I didn’t even like the original one, that much either. Larry Daley (Stiller) has returned as night watchmen 2 years later from his previous job. This time he’s infiltrated the Smithsonian in Washington, to rescue friends Jedediah and Octavius, who have been shipped there by accident. When he gets to the museum, he meets other historical people, such as Amy Adams doing an over the top performance as Amelia Earhart, and Kahmanruh, an evil Egyptian king, who gives Larry a task to perform or his two friends die. You may be asking yourself why in the name of all that is holy would I – or anyone older than 10, who isn’t a parent – even consider seeing this film. Well the movie trailer company deserves every penny they are getting, if not more. That’s right. I’m just going to come out and admit it. I have officially been “punk’d” by a movie trailer. I am very ashamed, but you have to understand, they put the only humorous parts there were, in the trailer. First of all, when I saw the film, nothing was funny and I was unreservedly bored out of my mind. Second of all, this is a kid’s movie, or a family movie, so to speak and there were quite a few kissing scenes in the film. Again, I am fourteen, I am mature, but you or I probably are not the target audience for this film. If you are a parent, take your kids to ‘Up’, which comes out a week later. That film is worth the wait, but the two years for this one wasn’t.

Up

Director: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
Writers: Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Naiga, Christopher Plummer
Release Date: May 29, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Up is a truly, touching story about one unpleasant (or what seems to be at least) 80-year-old and one exploratory 8 year old. The only thing they have in common…. they’re adventurers! Or at least Carl was one, and Russell wants to be. From when Carl was a child, he wanted to go exploring. He wanted to travel the world. Fly planes and sail boats. But on one rare night, he met Ellie. He then knew the one place he had to venture to was Paradise Falls, South America. The two of them made a deal that night in his bedroom, that one day, they would be there together. Carl knew then, that Ellie was his one true love. Ellie and Carl grew up together, moved into a house together, married each other, but unfortunately couldn’t have children together. That didn’t matter though because they were still in love. But as they grew old and gray, Ellie became sick. When Ellie passed away, Carl made a promise to himself, that he would continue their adventure to Paradise Falls, with Ellie in his heart. Now his old fashioned house is the last one on the block, with condominiums and high-rises everywhere he looks. Many people have asked him if they can tear down his house, and put him up in a retirement home. He finally accepts after many refusals. When the nurses from the retirement home come to pick him up, he goes back inside, letting them believe he is saying goodbye to his home. But actually he is releasing millions and millions of balloons that are launching his house from the ground. So off he goes! Off to paradise falls! Finally free at last! Until knock, knock, knock. Carl finds he’s not taking this trip alone. On his doorstep is Russell, an annoying questioning 8-year-old boy scout that was on his doorstep when the house took off. Carl lets him in and learns Russell wants to be an explorer. Together, the two explorers go on an adventure that will change their lives forever. Written and directed by both Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, Pixar’s very first 3D movie, Up is the number one family movie you’ve got to see. If you’re thinking of taking the kids to something, this is it. They might be a little teary eyed. But trust me, you will be too. This film made the whole audience cry including all the moms and dads of the kids they took to see this movie to. Up is a family film, but you will enjoy this movie no matter who you see it with. Anyone will be able to enjoy this charming, heartfelt adventure.