Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian arrives in a Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy versions) and for a limited time only a “Monkey Mischief double DVD on December 1^st.  Also FOX Home Entertainment launches FoxPop, powered by Spot411.  FoxPop is a home entertainment first allowing viewers to use their iPhone or computer to create a personalized, social and interactive entertainment experience while watching select Twentieth Century Fox Blu-ray Discs or DVD’s.

FoxPop is an application that will sync in seconds to an exact moment in a movie using new real-time audio recognition technology.   This is similar to the technology used for popular music recognition application Shazam.  As specific moments pass, facts and trivia will automatically pop up on either the iPhone or computer delivering information about an actor in the scene, an exotic location, or songs within the synched moment in the film.

Of course with any new app or internet based program, additional features to share and chat with other fans and friends will be available via popular social networks like Twitter and Facebook.  This comes only a few months after Fox’s new LIVE LOOKUP that provides information from IMDb.com on Blu-ray Discs.  Fox is continually trying to find new ways to entice people to get into Blu-ray and if involves improving the viewers experience than it is fine with me!  Other upcoming FoxPop titles include 500 Days of Summer and Jennifer’s Body.

Along with these cool, yet probably not necessary enhancements, is the film itself.  The second keeps to the ‘corkyness’ of the first and adds more laughs and great improvisation.  There are plenty of special features including a “Cherub Bootcamp”, which involves director Shawn Levy training The Jonas Brothers for their small roles as flying baby statues.  I’m not a fan of The Jonas Brothers, but if you are a fan then I’m sure you will love to see the bro’s acting like idiots.  Another great feature is “Director 201 With Shawn Levy” where a camera follows Levy in a mini-documentary of making the sequel to Night At The Museum. (Only on Blu-ray version.)

It’s a shame the Limited edition can’t include nearly as much as the Blu-ray, but I am sure part of it is to lure viewers into buying the Blu-ray version.  Twelve deleted scenes are available on Blu-ray where as only six scenes on the double DVD edition.

Below is the list of the special features available on each edition:

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Special Features:

Disc One

·         Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Blu-ray

·         Gag Reel

·         12 Deleted Scenes Including Alternate Ending

·         Curators of Comedy: Behind The Scenes With Ben Stiller

·         Museum Scavenger Hunt Game

·         Cherub Bootcamp

·         Phinding Pharaoh With Hank Azaria

·         Monkey Mischief Featurettes

·         Historical Confessions: Famous Last Words

·         Secret Doors and Scientists

·         Cavemen Conversations: Survival of the Wittiest

·         Museum Magic: Entering The World Of The Photograph

·         Director 201 With Shawn Levy

·         Gangster Levy

·         Audio Commentaries With Filmmakers

·         FOX Movie Channel Presents Featurettes

Disc Two

·         Digital Copy of Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Disc Three

·         Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian widescreen feature film (2.40:1 aspect ratio)

Limited Edition “Monkey Mischief” Double DVD Special Features:

Disc One

·         Gag Reel

·         Curators of Comedy: Behind the Scenes with Ben Stiller

·         Cherub Bootcamp

·         Six Deleted Scenes, Including Alternate Ending

·         Phinding Pharaoh With Hank Azaria

·         Audio Commentaries with Filmmakers

Disc Two – Monkey Mischief Bonus Disc

·         Show Me The Monkey featurette

o   Monkey Business

o   Primate Prima Donnas

o   The Secret Life of a Monkey Movie Star: Life Off Camera

·         Games

o   Monkey Slap Game

o   Abel and Dexter’s Flights Of Fancy