feelsalike.comSign in
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian poster

Movies that feel likeNight at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)

Hapless museum night watchman Larry Daley must help his living, breathing exhibit friends out of a pickle now that they've been transferred to the archives at the Smithsonian Institution. Larry's (mis)adventures this time include close encounters with Amelia Earhart, Abe Lincoln and Ivan the Terrible.

If you loved Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, the closest films we have are Ghostbusters (2016), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) and Date Night (2010). All three share Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian's kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons (2013).

🍅 43% Rotten Tomatoes★ 6 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Shawn Levyepicdreamlikekineticwittyplayfulwarm
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

See it on the Mood Map

When is Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian streaming? →

If Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Night at the Museum (2006) · Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

Ghostbusters poster
Ghostbusters
2016 · dir. Paul Feig
🍅 74%★ 6.8action · fantasy · comedyHulu

Dreamlike where it counts, kinetic underneath

The difference: Reviewed even better

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 threat.

The Spiderwick Chronicles poster
The Spiderwick Chronicles
2008 · dir. Mark Waters
🍅 81%★ 6.5family · adventure · fantasyParamount+Peacock

Both land scale and warmth at once

The difference: Goes its own way on the wit

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

Date Night poster
Date Night
2010 · dir. Shawn Levy
🍅 67%★ 6.3comedy · action · adventureStarz

Shawn Levy working the same nerve twice

Phil and Claire Foster fear that their mild-mannered relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, their dinner reservation leads to their being mistaken for a couple of thieves—and now a number of unsavoury characters want Phil and Claire killed.

How to Train Your Dragon poster
How to Train Your Dragon
2025 · dir. Dean DeBlois
🍅 78%★ 7.7fantasy · family · actionNetflix

Adventure built on scale, twice over

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 dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies poster
🍅 59%★ 7.4action · adventure · fantasyMax

Both lean on dream logic more than on fantasy

Following Smaug's attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an army of Orcs led by Azog the Defiler is marching on Erebor, fueled by the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Dwarves, elves and men must unite, and the hope for Middle-Earth falls into Bilbo's hands.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons poster
🍅 94%★ 6.7action · fantasy · adventurePrime Video

Witty and playful in the same breath

In a world plagued by demons who cause great human suffering, young demon hunter Tang Sanzang must fight against monstrous demons, as well as contend with a beautiful demon hunting woman on his path to enlightenment.

Pan poster
Pan
2015 · dir. Joe Wright
🍅 27%★ 5.7fantasy · adventure · familyMax

Kinetic action, and it commits to that

Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.

Eragon poster
Eragon
2006 · dir. Stefen Fangmeier
★ 5.1fantasy · action · adventureDisney+

Family with a pulse of warmth, in both cases

In his homeland of Alagaesia, a farm boy happens upon a dragon's egg -- a discovery that leads him on a predestined journey where he realized he's the one person who can defend his home against an evil king.

The Internship poster
The Internship
2013 · dir. Shawn Levy
🍅 34%★ 6.3comedyMax

The same hand behind both of them: Shawn Levy

Two recently laid-off men in their 40s try to make it as interns at a successful Internet company where their managers are in their 20s.

Mirror Mirror poster
Mirror Mirror
2012 · dir. Tarsem Singh
🍅 50%★ 5.6adventure · comedy · family

Witty comedy in both cases

After she spends all her money, an evil enchantress queen schemes to marry a handsome, wealthy prince. There's just one problem - he's in love with a beautiful princess, Snow White. Now, joined by seven rebellious dwarves, Snow White launches an epic battle of good vs. evil...

Paul Blart: Mall Cop poster
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
2009 · dir. Steve Carr
🍅 34%★ 5.3action · adventure · comedyStarz

Playful adventure, and it commits to that

When a shopping mall is taken over by a gang of organized crooks, it's up to a mild-mannered security guard to save the day.

Asterix at the Olympic Games poster
Asterix at the Olympic Games
2008 · dir. Thomas Langmann
★ 5.3fantasy · adventure · comedyPrime Video

Epic fantasy, and it commits to that

Astérix and Obélix have to win the Olympic Games in order to help their friend Alafolix marry Princess Irina. Brutus uses every trick in the book to have his own team win the game, and get rid of his father Julius Caesar in the process.

In the mood for more epic?

all epic movies →

The best-reviewed films that share Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’s defining feeling.