As we saw in the first Night at the Museum, there is something magical about the idea of being brought back to life. Jump several years down the road, reunite with Larry (Ben Stiller) after he has traded his job as a museum guard for the position of CEO of his own company, and revisit the Museum of Natural History the night before most of the exhibits are to be forever relegated to storage beneath the Smithsonian, and really, the story is not all that different. Sure, Battle of the Smithsonian has a few new characters and cameos. With the ability to summon entire armies from ancient Egyptian crypts added to the life-giving powers of the first film's magic tablet, the battle that wages for its possession is slightly different. But in the end, the central themes of the film are still pretty much the same: No matter how we look at it, life is an amazing and invaluable gift, and given that gift, it is our responsibility to use it well.

But while the second installment of Night at the Museum often feels like no more than an extension of the first, as it continues to explore the magic that is life, it actually does delve a bit deeper into the themes presented in the first. When the second film opens, we see that Larry has done well for himself. He is a successful businessman, and as some might say, he has definitely made something of his life. But as he walks into the Museum to greetings of "long time, no see" and makes his way home to his son only to break out his work at the dinner table, the question is: Is what Larry has made of his life actually of value or not?

Cue another crazy night of history brought to life in which Larry meets a variety of different ideas of what it looks like to live life to the fullest. In one corner: the evil pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest), Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat), and Al Capone (Jon Bernthal). In the other: Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), Abraham Lincoln (also Hank Azaria), and an assortment of other historical figures eager to keep the tablet of life out of Kahmunrah's hands.

For Kahmunrah, seizing life means seizing control of everyone else's. To him, to be alive is equivalent to being in power. For Napoleon, tacked onto that need for power is also his need to hold a certain image. To him, to be in power is to be seen as great, not small. As for Ivan, let's just say if he's going to come back to life, he could really do with a moniker that is a bit more amazing or awesome than, well, terrible. But as we see, in a world where only one person can be the most powerful, the most awesome, and the most in control, living our lives in pursuit of a position only big enough for one man is pretty much a recipe for defeat.

Then there are those there trying to make sure Kahmunrah, Napoleon, Ivan, or Capone don't occupy that position for even a minute. Teaming up with Larry as soon as chaos erupts, Earhart proves that she is up for an adventure from the get go. The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, she steps into the game as a woman who truly was once the best in her field. But as she stares at all the ways her achievements have since been eclipsed, her response of excitement instead of envy reveals a sense of value that is less about individual achievements than it is about contributions made to a story that is greater than her own. And even in the limited hours of her temporary life, her all-or-nothing participation in the night's adventures speaks to a way of living that recognizes the value of every moment life gives us, not just the ones we feel will keep hoisting us up the ladder of future success or achievement.

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