Night at the Museum 2

The first ‘Night at the Museum’ was a fiasco, so the thought of a sequel was pretty horrendous. But here it is,  and it’s better than predicted, though hardly fault-free: the ‘Toy Story’-esque plot could be written on the femur of dormouse and some scenes still lean towards inanity. But, in the main, this is a  funnier and more coherent slice of kids’ entertainment. The first instalment saw Ben Stiller’s museum nightwatchman grapple with an assemblage of natural history exhibits that mysteriously sprang to life. Despite his new career as a flash entrepreneur, Larry (Stiller) has never forgotten his band of eclectic pals. So when he hears that New York’s Museum of Natural History has shipped its dated exhibits to the Smithsonian Institute’s underground storage facility, he feels compelled to do something about it.

He sneaks his way into the Institute and enlists Amy Adams’s Amelia Earhart to help him hatch a rescue plan. But he hasn’t figured on Hank Azaria’s lisping Pharaoh… Stiller is still vaguely likeable in the lead but the rest of the original cast (Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais) remain unconvincing. Thank heavens, then, for newcomers Adams, Azaria and Bill Hader. Adams nails her period part with old-fashioned gusto and Hader is uproarious as a camp General Custer. But it’s Azaria’s immature Pharaoh who remains most memorable; his pantomime scenes are reminiscent of vintage Python. Figure in some quality production values, and you have a follow-up in far finer fettle.