50 Movies Like Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian details →Shawn Levy's 2009 family comedy-adventure returns to the museum-comes-to-life premise, this time relocating night watchman Larry Daley to the sprawling archives of the Smithsonian Institution, where his living exhibit friends have been shipped and promptly land in trouble. Larry's rescue mission brings a string of comic encounters with history's larger-than-life figures, among them Amelia Earhart, Abe Lincoln and Ivan the Terrible. It's breezy, effects-heavy fun aimed squarely at kids and parents looking for an undemanding watch with a light educational hook. Don't expect depth or surprise, but if the first film charmed your household, this bigger, busier sequel offers more of the same good-natured, all-ages spectacle.
If you loved Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) by Shawn Levy, here are 50 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Big Trouble in Little China. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
2010 · Brad Peyton
The ongoing war between the canine and feline species is put on hold when they join forces to thwart a rogue cat spy with her own sinister plans for conquest.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
2017 · Jake Kasdan
Four teenagers in detention discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of. When they decide to play, they are immediately sucked into the jungle world of Jumanji in the bodies
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Big Trouble in Little China
1986 · John Carpenter
Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green ey
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life
2003 · Jan de Bont
Off the coast of the volcanic island of Santorini, the intrepid archaeologist Lara Croft makes the unexpected discovery of a pulsating golden orb able to guide its holder to the mythical Pandora's Box
In common: Adventure · Action · Fantasy
Small Soldiers
1998 · Joe Dante
When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
The Brothers Grimm
2005 · Terry Gilliam
Folklore collectors and con artists, Jake and Will Grimm, travel from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures and performing exorcisms. However, they are put to the
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Ghostbusters
2016 · Paul Feig
Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly th
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Last Action Hero
1993 · John McTiernan
After his father's death, a young boy finds solace in action movies featuring an indestructible cop. Given a magic ticket by a theater manager, he is transported into the film and teams up with the co
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Red One
2024 · Jake Kasdan
After Santa Claus (codename: Red One) is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with the world's most infamous tracker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
R.I.P.D.
2013 · Robert Schwentke
A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him.
In common: Action · Comedy · Fantasy
Conan the Barbarian
1982 · John Milius
A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of the childhood massacre, Conan is released from sla
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Scorpion King
2002 · Chuck Russell
In ancient Egypt, peasant Mathayus is hired to exact revenge on the powerful Memnon and the sorceress Cassandra, who are ready to overtake Balthazar's village. Amid betrayals, thieves, abductions and
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Charlie's Angels
2019 · Elizabeth Banks
Elena Houghlin is a scientist, engineer and inventor of Calisto -- a sustainable energy source that will revolutionize the way people use power. It will be ready as soon as she works out the last issu
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Armour of God
1986 · Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan stars as Asian Hawk, an Indiana Jones-style adventurer looking to make a fortune in exotic antiquities. After Hawk discovers a mysterious sword in Africa, a band of Satan-worshipping monks
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
The Three Musketeers
1993 · Stephen Herek
D'Artagnan travels to Paris hoping to become a musketeer, one of the French king's elite bodyguards, only to discover that the corps has been disbanded by conniving Cardinal Richelieu, who secretly ho
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra
2002 · Alain Chabat
History's favorite Gauls assist Queen Cleopatra when she wagers that the Egyptian people can build a palace for Julius Caesar in just three months.
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Family
Reign of Fire
2002 · Rob Bowman
In post-apocalyptic England, an American volunteer and a British survivor team up to fight off a brood of fire-breathing dragons seeking to return to global dominance after centuries of rest undergrou
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Monster Hunter
2020 · Paul W. S. Anderson
A portal transports Cpt. Artemis and an elite unit of soldiers to a strange world where powerful monsters rule with deadly ferocity. Faced with relentless danger, the team encounters a mysterious hunt
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Willow
1988 · Ron Howard
The evil Queen Bavmorda hunts the newborn princess Elora Danan, a child prophesied to bring about her downfall. When the royal infant is found by Willow, a timid farmer and aspiring sorcerer, he's ent
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Clash of the Titans
1981 · Desmond Davis
To win the right to marry his love, the beautiful princess Andromeda, and fulfil his destiny, half-God-half-mortal Perseus must complete various tasks including taming Pegasus, capturing Medusa's head
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Bāhubali 2: The Conclusion
2017 · S. S. Rajamouli
When Mahendra, the son of Bāhubali, learns about his heritage, he begins to look for answers. His story is juxtaposed with past events that unfolded in the Mahishmati Kingdom.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Conan the Barbarian
2011 · Marcus Nispel
A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the o
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Dukes of Hazzard
2005 · Jay Chandrasekhar
Cousins, Bo and Luke Duke, with the help of their eye-catching cousin, Daisy and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse, try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County's corrupt commission
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Around the World in 80 Days
2004 · Frank Coraci
A bet pits a British inventor, a Chinese thief and a French artist on a worldwide adventure that they can circle the globe in 80 days.
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Solomon Kane
2009 · MJ Bassett
A nomadic 16th century warrior, condemned to hell for his brutal past, seeks redemption by renouncing violence, but finds some things are worth burning for as he fights to free a young Puritan woman f
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom
2023 · Guillaume Canet
Gallic heroes and forever friends Asterix and Obelix journey to China to help Princess Sa See save the Empress and her land from a nefarious prince.
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Family
Ladyhawke
1985 · Richard Donner
Captain Etienne Navarre is a man on whose shoulders lies a cruel curse. Punished for loving each other, Navarre must become a wolf by night whilst his lover, Lady Isabeau, takes the form of a hawk by
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Fantasy
Mortal Kombat
2021 · Simon McQuoid
Washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young, unaware of his heritage, and hunted by Emperor Shang Tsung's best warrior, Sub-Zero, seeks out and trains with Earth's greatest champions as he prepares to stand agai
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Mummy
1999 · Stephen Sommers
Dashing legionnaire Rick O'Connell stumbles upon the hidden ruins of Hamunaptra while in the midst of a battle to claim the area in 1920s Egypt. It has been over three thousand years since former High
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001 · Peter Jackson
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowshi
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
The Mummy Returns
2001 · Stephen Sommers
Rick and Evelyn O’Connell, along with their 8-year-old son Alex, discover the key to the legendary Scorpion King’s might: the fabled Bracelet of Anubis. Unfortunately, a newly resurrected Imhotep has
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
2003 · Gore Verbinski
When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpred
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
How to Train Your Dragon
2025 · Dean DeBlois
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dra
In common: Action · Adventure · Family
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2006 · Gore Verbinski
Captain Jack Sparrow’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to the legendary Davy Jones, ghastly Ruler of the Ocean Depths. To escape eternal servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, ever-crafty Jac
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
2011 · Rob Marshall
When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past, he's not sure if it's love...or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
2007 · Gore Verbinski
After losing Captain Jack Sparrow to the locker of Davy Jones, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa journey to the ends of the earth to rescue him. And as the East India Trading Company
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
2019 · David Leitch
Ever since US Diplomatic Security Service Agent Hobbs and lawless outcast Shaw first faced off, they just have traded smack talk and body blows. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton's
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
2023 · Jonathan Goldstein
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Fantasy
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
2008 · Rob Cohen
Archaeologist Rick O'Connell travels to China, pitting him against an emperor from the 2,000-year-old Han dynasty who's returned from the dead to pursue a quest for world domination. This time, O'Conn
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2005 · Tim Burton
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Family
Jungle Cruise
2021 · Jaume Collet-Serra
Dr. Lily Houghton enlists the aid of wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff to take her down the Amazon in his dilapidated boat. Together, they search for an ancient tree that holds the power to heal – a di
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Jumanji: The Next Level
2019 · Jake Kasdan
As the gang return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored in order to escape the world’s most
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Fantasy
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
2022 · Jeff Fowler
After settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search for an emeral
In common: Action · Adventure · Comedy
Kong: Skull Island
2017 · Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Explore the mysterious and dangerous home of the king of the apes as a team of explorers ventures deep inside the treacherous, primordial island.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Tomb Raider
2018 · Roar Uthaug
Lara Croft, the fiercely independent daughter of a missing adventurer, must push herself beyond her limits when she finds herself on the island where her father disappeared.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Warcraft
2016 · Duncan Jones
The peaceful realm of Azeroth stands on the brink of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders: orc warriors fleeing their dying home to colonize another. As a portal opens to connect
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Clash of the Titans
2010 · Louis Leterrier
Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Had
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
2014 · Shawn Levy
When the magic powers of The Tablet of Ahkmenrah begin to die out, Larry Daley spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Family
Gods of Egypt
2016 · Alex Proyas
A common thief joins a mythical god on a quest through Egypt.
In common: Action · Adventure · Fantasy
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
2024 · Gil Kenan
When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.
In common: Adventure · Comedy · Fantasy
Popular series
Breaking Bad
2008 · Michelle MacLaren
Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live. He becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
2023 · Kazutaka Yamanaka
After the party of heroes defeated the Demon King, they restored peace to the land and returned to lives of solitude. Generations pass, and the elven mage Frieren comes face to face with humanity’s m
Avatar: The Last Airbender
2005 · Michael Dante DiMartino
In a war-torn world of elemental magic, a young boy reawakens to undertake a dangerous mystic quest to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar, and bring peace to the world.
