Night at the Museum 2

Ben Stiller reprises his role as Larry, the museum security guard from the original film. Now a successful inventor, he finds himself alone in the Smithsonian in Washington DC when the museum's exhibits come to life one night. Receiving a distress call from a miniature cowboy (Owen Wilson), Larry has to contend with a furious Egyptian ruler, who, together with Ivan the Terrible, Napoleon and Al Capone, is set on world domination. With Ricky Gervais.

Ed Potton, the Times: The post-Bush patriotism - there's even a cameo by a giant Abraham Lincoln - is cloying at times, as are the copious plugs for the Smithsonian. But small children will love the rumbustious running battles and older ones will lap up the witty, allusive script, which leaves plenty of room for fizzy banter between Stiller, [Amy] Adams, [Hank] Azaria and Wilson. The mixture of frenetic spectacle and barmy school lesson is a beguiling one, too. (Verdict: four stars out of five)

Helen O'Hara, Empire: It's just a shame that a franchise rife with the potential for family-friendly historical humour - smart little nods to the Napoleon complex and Custer's (Bill Hader) appalling war record notwithstanding - so frequently defaults to monkey-slapping and pop-culture gags. Still, this is a bigger and better night out than the first. (Verdict: three stars out of five) ·