NATM2 and ‘Hangover’ Impressions
I just got back from a screening for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. I expected this film to have some issues, and although it does have some, it does a pretty good job matching up to the original. The film is not Ben’s or Owen’s strongest role, but they did get some great jokes in.
There were some great cameos/supporting roles with Bill Hader, Ed Helms, Ricky Gervais, Mindy Kaling, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, and Jay Baruchel. Although some of these scenes are brief, I really enjoyed the ones with Hader, Gervais, and Hill. I was most impressed with Amy Adams’ role as Amelia Earnhardt, as her energetic personality really kept the film moving along at some of its slower points.
The film has a lot of humor for children, as well as plenty of jokes for the adults (a few that are closer to PG-13, I think). There was an amazing 300 reference in the film which got a large response in the packed audience. I enjoyed the orginial film more, but the computer animation is really good in this one, and the new characters are really enjoyable. I don’t want to give away any of the other roles (although the trailers may have already done that), but there are plenty of characters and cultural references that all generations will enjoy.
In addition, on Monday night I was fortunate to go to a screening for The Hangover. The film was pretty good for what it was, but the best part was that Ed Helms was present after the screening for a Q&A session. The film definitely deserved the R-rating, and Helms does a great job with the unfiltered role. At the Q&A, he revealed that he had actually lost his tooth when he was a kid, and that the cap was removed for the film. He had it out for three months while filming his role and used a fake tooth while filming “The Office”.
Helms revealed that he is currently working on a script through the summer on a group of Civil War reenactment actors who, without their knowledge, travel back in time to the Civil War era. I was fortunate to talk with him afterwards and get an autograph. It will be interesting to see him in some other large roles in the future.