Cinepals - NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN Reaction and Review! | Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria

Episode Date: August 6, 2024

Jaby & Kristen continue the Night at the Museum films with the sequel, Battle of the Smithsonian is a whimsical adventure where night guard Larry Daley races against time to rescue his museum friends from the clutches of an evil pharaoh who has awakened all the exhibits in the Smithsonian Institution. This film is directed by Shawn Levy (Free Guy & The Internship), & it stars: Ben Stiller (Zoolander & Meet the Parents), Amy Adams (Enchanted & American Hustle), Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers & Midnight in Paris), Hank Azaria (The Simpsons & The Birdcage), Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting & Mrs. Doubtfire), Ricky Gervais (The Office & After Life), Bill Hader (Barry & Trainwreck), and Steve Coogan (Philomena & The Trip series). You can watch the cut down reaction to this movie (and many others) on our YouTube channel https://www.YouTube.com/@Cinepals and the full length reaction is available on our Patreon page https://www.Patreon.com/JabyKoay SOCIAL MEDIA: ~CINEPALS~ YouTube: @CinePalsInstagram: https://instagram.com/TheCinePals Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheCinePals ~KRISTEN STEPHENSONPINO~ Instagram: @Kris10Kesp  

Senna. Pals. Guess who's back, back, back from outer space. Jabby's back, back, back, back. You got your wish. All right. Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian. I am very excited to get into this. Here we go. You know what you should check out is the Hall of Miniatures. Could you take me there? I'm always getting lost. Wow. No, sure.

That worked out. That was fun. I don't know if I like the sun being like the one to like figure everything out on the... Oh, Ilram Choi. He's a buddy of mine. He played Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man, too. The sun double. Go ahead.

Sorry, I'm listening. You didn't like the sun. You're going to start off with that. What did you like about the movie? No, I don't know. I mean, like, I just felt like in the first one, it made more sense to have him. I actually thought this was going to be very different. I thought the sun was going to maybe be on the journey together or something.

But then that, I thought this was really cute. It doesn't compare to the first one. But it was exciting. Okay. It was still exciting. It was still fun. I really liked this because of Hank Azaria. He just, like, he elevated the material that was here.

Because, like, when it came to the bookend side of the film, like, towards the end and you're seeing like all the characters again from the first movie you know i mean you see them at the beginning of the end i was like you know it it is kind of bittersweet that you don't get them like throughout the adventure here as much other than owen wilson and um i forgot the name of the actor playing the romans uh soldier but you know outside of them you're not really getting too many robin williams is missing throughout most of the movie except for like one little cameo scene and so it did seem kind of sad that you didn't have them yes in this film more But I thought that for like revisiting this kind of a story, they actually did a pretty good job.

It's like, how do you have a sequel to a very successful film and make it fresh and interesting? And I thought that they actually delivered on the task of delivering a pretty good movie that's a follow-up to a film that was already successful and not making it feel like just a bunch of rehashed jokes. Yeah. So like when I watched Rush Hour 2, there was like moments where it's like callbacks to the first movie. And it's like, well, okay, that feels like a very sequel thing to do. Whereas this was a whole new story that was a lot of fun. Anyway, I mean, I have my list of grievances about the movie, but I was actually quite happy with it.

And Hank Azaria just tickled me senselessly, especially that whole little monologue, not monologue, but that sequence. He's like, you did all three. It's just getting more and more worked up. I thought he was hilarious. You know, he, he like won me over so much. Could you relate to that moment?

I guess. I don't know. No, but he's just so, he's so talented. Actually, the movie makes me sad that he doesn't get more, like, on-camera work. I mean, he's, he'll always be the, you know, most known for doing a poo on the Simpsons. But, yeah, like, the only other movie I can think of that he did live action, I'm sure there's plenty, and it's just not coming to mind. But the only other time I can think of him being on camera was in the Godzilla film with Matthew Broderick.

That's the only one. And so, and his talents were not used anywhere near to the extent that it's used here. Like, his introduction was cool, you know, like all the way through the movie. I just thought he did such a great job. So, anyway, I could see, I could feel your vibe, your energy. You weren't, like, loving it as much as the first one. But I thought it was quite a bit of fun. I loved it.

Not loved it, but I liked quite a bit. I liked it. I wasn't feeling as much as the first one for sure. But I think it's because I think I wanted more of the other characters to be in it. with these new characters. I get that. But that's just the part of me that just loves the first one so much

that I want my people. You know what I mean? I want all my characters back. And I want them to be utilized a lot more like our cowboy and our Roman guy. Yeah. Like those two are so freaking funny.

And I feel like they should have utilized them a little bit more. I think they should have utilized like a lot of these characters. and entwined them and had like conflict or also create new relationships with the other characters from this new museum.

But I do like that it was so big. Like I didn't think they could go bigger with this and they didn't. So that was kind of wild in itself but it was also a little bit overwhelming for me because I was like, oh my gosh, there's so much chaos. I felt like I had a little bit of anxiety.

Okay. Because I'm like, okay, you got this museum, this museum, they're all next to each other. All these things are coming in line. I'm like, we're going to ruin, we're going to ruin everything for everyone. Yeah, I can see what you're saying. No, I can totally see what you're saying about it like going way bigger and kind of maybe, maybe it was trying to do too much. And I will grant you that. However, and I'm about to say something that is probably going to be not liked by many people.

I actually enjoyed this more than the first movie. No. I had more fun with this than the first film. At least, as I recall, um, I don't. You know, seeing Ricky Jervais's little joke at the end, it's like, there are things that I ended up missing where I'm like, why didn't they have that more? And it's like, well, there's just not enough room in the movie for what they were going for. But Ricky Jervais was like, he had a lot of like fun, awkward moments in the first film. And they only gave me one of those right at the end of this one.

But I suppose that's for the best because it's like if they just did it again, then it's like you're just retreading the same ground you did in the first movie. It makes sense that they largely got away from everything that they did in the first movie. I get it. I was a little bit surprised at what was not explored, because, like, in that aeronautical museum with all the planes and stuff, they had Saturn hanging, right? And I'm like, okay, why doesn't that come to life? This has got gravity. Like, everything else has come into life. Why not that?

But then, like, maybe that would have been too distracting, I suppose. But it's like, it's there. So I really enjoyed John Bernthal. Like, I had no idea he was in this movie because, like, I didn't really learn of him as just an actor until, until Derrador. Season 2. Well, that was my first proper exposure to him. And so to see him, you know, earlier on playing Al Capone was pretty cool. And, you know, they, the way that those characters finished out actually made a lot of sense because I'm watching them and I'm like, Al Capone is not the kind of guy who's going to take orders from anybody. He's a, he's a badass, right? And so the way they all

kind of turn it on each other, him and Napoleon and Ivan the Terrible. I'm like, that's a fitting way for those characters to exit. And I, unlike you, actually enjoyed Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart. Her accent, the transatlantic accent was not, like, super consistent. But I thought she was doing a pretty good job of channeling her, Catherine Hepburn. It was fun. Like, I was like, oh, this is actually, like, really cool. I forget that Amy Adams is actually really good because most of my, like, recollection of her is the Zach Snyder films of all things, Batman v. Superman and all that, or Man of Steel.

And so, yeah, I mean, she's great. She's awesome. I like Amy Adams. I do like her. I just fell a little bit. I think I just was distracted by everything, like, I don't know. I don't like this one more than the first one. I get it.

No, I absolutely love. No, and I understand. I, but I don't think it was a bad film. Right. I think for making a second film, I don't think it was bad. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I thought it was fun. Like, it's definitely exciting.

Yeah. And it does have fun. It is kind of fun, but at the same time, like, I was smiling. Yeah, yeah. But. No, my face hurt. Like, my face hurt by the end of it because I was smiling so much. I was smiling because I did enjoy it, so I did catch myself going like this.

You know, because I was enjoying it, but at the same time, I think I just wanted a little something different from it. I wanted more relationships building. I wanted more like where I just felt like we were just constantly like running. I get you. I get you. You know, and I didn't get my main people as much as I would have liked some of our favorite characters to kind of come more into play and have them have like. more speaking roles and I felt like Amy Adams kind of took over which you know it's fine I don't think she did a bad job I thought she was great but when I see her I always think of like Disney princess

yeah yeah she's a beautiful girl and she's very like princessy no I could totally see what you're saying your points are very very very valid because the first film did focus a lot more heavily on relationships coming together as a for instance Robin Williams and Pocahontas is it Pocahontas or no um it was uh sorry you know how you all know who I'm talking about, Seca Juia. Yeah, and so, yeah, like, seeing that relationship build up was cool. But Leah, I thought the additions were really fun. Like Bill Hader, as General Custer, I was just like, I thought his moment with Seca Juwea and trying to say her name in failing miserably.

I don't think that's a joke that would be necessarily. I thought that was funny. Yeah, I don't think that's a joke that would necessarily be done today. And it's one of the things I appreciate about films of yester. And it's not even that long ago. But, yeah, like, that was a funny bit. you know and Bill Hader had some great moments in here even even his dumb thing of like okay here's here's my new plan

we won't say attack and then we attack yeah like it's so stupid it's adorable I think it's adorable I like I liked a lot of the dialogue I thought it was adorable I'm not trying to hate but I get you I just really do wish that there was like okay I love that bit when they're locked up right he was doing that whole skit where this is the plan whatever whatever I would have loved a lot more conflict with Owen Wilson. Hank Azaria

is the one that did Abe Lincoln. Here I am loving Hank Azaria and then I'm hating on him for his Abe Lincoln. Anyway, go ahead. Sorry. Owen Wilson. No, you're good. I just think that like if they had more of that comical like, oh my God, like he like talking to each other like

this guy's a fool. I don't know. You get it. I get you. You get it. I was wanting more of like that banter and like a lot more of just that mix. Yeah. Versus fully forgetting about the old cast and just focusing on all, like, I almost felt like it was like so much, which was cool,

but we could have, we could have tightened it a bit like. You're, like I said a moment ago, your points are totally valid. And I'm like there's a part of me that agrees with you. I like the music. I love the angel singing. I thought they were hilarious. I actually really liked them. Yeah.

They weren't my favorite part of them. Really? I actually liked them. At first I didn't like them when they first started. Yeah. And then after they came back, like the second time. Yeah. Then I was kind of like, okay, I kind of like these guys.

I don't know why I liked them, but I couldn't tell you. But at first I didn't. I'm about 95% confident that the music they were playing during the epic fight with the mag light and Hank Azaria. 95% confident that's from two steps from hell. And it's just funny because this morning, I'm a weird dude. I listened this morning to Two Steps from Hell while I was working out. Like, I love, I love instrumental, exciting instrumental movie music. And so, yeah, I was playing Two Steps from Hell, one of their older albums this morning.

And so to hear their music in the movie, I was pretty stoked. A buddy of mine actually worked on this doing visual effects. And so I was on the lookout for his shot because I never watched this film before. But when there was a sequence where they're coming up the stairs and then the plane flies right towards camera, that was my buddy's shot. That's the only one I recall from his VFX reel. It was nice to finally see that in context. But, yeah, overall, like, I, the, the funniest thing is the person that I have the most grievances with in this movie is actually Ben Stiller himself. Because while he's, while he's good and, you know, he carries the film, there are moments in the film where I'm just like, I wish, I wish you would do more than the norm.

Well, the thing is, it's all very take it for granted, right? because this is not new to him he is the I guess for all intents and purposes he's the straight man in a room of clowns right so his behavior does make sense it's just after a while it can feel very samey

and I'm just like okay you've got the same expression a lot of the time in the movie I felt that actually I get why they made that choice I just don't in the execution of it all when it's all put together I'm just like It's just kind of

A lot of the same after a while It probably would have worked It a lot more If he would have been like Oh my gosh This is way worse than You know like If he if he would have been like

Shit like are you kidding me Yeah And I thought or you know Like had the monkey thing And I thought you were bad Like And had more jokes like Yeah

I think then it would have been I think I did feel that way too With him I feel like he did kind of let us down A little bit Because I feel like it should have been A lot more like what the like what is this yeah oh my god i thought you guys were i thought we had a bad or i don't know

something some a lot more comedy with like him realizing having a realization that oh my gosh shit just got real this is even worse now i have to relearn all these other things and still be confident but kind of be like yeah that didn't work yeah it's a little tough because it's easy to to give into the temptation to go big and so he was going against that by by taking it for granted more. And it's like, it's a choice. It's just that I wish there was more variety in the choices. That's all.

I agree with that. So, but yeah, like I said, overall, I had a good time here. I mean, it's fun. It definitely had me in stitches, especially that. Honestly, like, I wanted to pause the movie and go back and watch the scene again. It's one of those things where it's like back in the day, I used to watch like certain sections of Ace Ventura when nature calls on repeat and just destroy my VHS tape. I was just repeating these scenes, just laughing hysterically and giggling on the floor, right?

That's a scene I would have just started over again and watched again and again, like an Instagram reel. Because I just thought he did such a bang-up job. Like, it made it work even more of speaking of Ben Stiller, like playing like the straight man. Like the disparity between their behavior was fantastic. It was my favorite scene in the whole film. And just did him getting so outraged. It was so earned.

So, yeah, anyway, that was fun. You guys, thanks so much. I'm Jabby Kouye. This is. Kristen, Stephens and Pinot. Peace out.