每週影評：Night at the Museum: Battle of the 史密斯sonian

For my movie review this week, I'm looking at the recent hit flick 'Night at the Museum: Battle of the 史密斯sonian', the sequel to the 2006 original. Both are directed by Shawn Levy.

Night guard Larry Daley, now a successful salesman, returns to the Museum of Natural History to visit his old friends--the exhibits that come to life at night. However, Larry learns that his friends are to be shipped off to the 史密斯sonian Institute and will be placed in storage forever.

To make things worse, the newcomers have awoken the exhibits at the 史密斯sonian, including the Egyptian ruler, Kahmunrah, who's in a particularly nasty mood after 3,000 years of slumber and is desperately eager to rule the world. Determined to save his friends, Larry sets off to the museum.

Night at the Museum is a kid-friendly comedy. It teaches simple history and is busy enough to maintain a child's attention, for example, here is a meaningless and childish scene: one monkey slaps Larry. The other monkey slaps Larry. Larry slaps both monkeys. And they do this again and again. This slap fight may make you laugh if you are only seven-years-old.

All right, you may argue that it's only a movie for kids and it's not a film to get serious about. Well, I don't think it even serves the young minds as well as it might. At times, it seems so much is happening on the screen that you don't really know where to look or who to focus on. Meanwhile the movie is intentionally designed, in part, to cater to adult audiences by inserting a little romance into the plot, which is, however, quite underdeveloped and not in keeping with the storyline.

So here comes the problem: since this Night at the Museum is generally harmless and cute for kids, as an adult moviegoer, how many points should I give to this wacky comedy? I'm afraid double standards may apply. For kids, I rate this movie a seven. But on an emotional level, and as a grown-up, I give it no more than four.