Ben Stiller in the film, Night At The Museum 2 _460

On arrival at their new home, Jed and Co are attacked by cranky Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Azaria), who was woken from his centuries of slumber by an ancient Egyptian tablet, and intends to take over the world with the help of Ivan The Terrible (Guest), Al Capone (Benthal) and Napoleon Bonaparte (Chabat). Larry races to the rescue, flanked by gutsy new acquaintance Amelia Earhart (Adams).

Night At The Museum 2 regurgitates everything that worked in the first film and garnishes with new characters including The Wright Brothers and Degar’s iconic dancing girl.

The ever-likeable Stiller generously surrenders the big laughs to Azaria’s plummy pharaoh, who is momentarily distracted by the quest for "the cube of Rubik."

A scene in which Kahmunrah makes bold threats about what will happen if Larry dares to touch the tablet again is hysterical, and surely improvised.

Stiller and Adams gel nicely, the latter luminous as a gal who says what she thinks, telling Larry plainly, "What I see in front of me is a man who has lost his moxie".

Painful.