Any actor who gets involved in the massive mega-franchises has the unfortunate experience of having most of their other roles listed behind their iconic character. Take Jon Bernthal, who is known as an in-demand Hollywood tough guy with a shocking amount of range. Looking back at a film likeNight at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, it’s fun to watch a star like him in a role he may not have signed on for today.
Bernthal arguably broke through and became a star in 2010, when he began his regular roleon AMC’sThe Walking Dead. That performance opened the door for his other well-known performances in films likeThe Wolf of Wall Street. The year before, however, he popped up in a minor role in Shawn Levy’s second history-based comedy.
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What isNight at the Museum: Battle for the SmithsonianAbout?
Those who saw Shawn Levy’s originalNight at the Museumwill recall that the film follows the magical exploits of Larry Daley, the night guardat the American Museumof Natural History. Both are based on a children’s book released in 1993 by Milan Trenc. During his shift, Daley discovers that the mystical Tablet of Akhmenrah has the supernatural power to bring every exhibit in the museum to life. This power only activates at night, leading to aToy Storyscenario in which the exhibits are allowed to enjoy their lives until sunrise when they must return to their poses.Battle of the Smithsonianopens with most of the exhibits being moved to the Smithsonian Archives without the tablet. This would leave most of Larry’s friends unable to animate, but, a mischievous museum monkey steals the tablet. This leads tochaos in the Smithsonian, as the biggest archival and research complex in the world comes to life at once.
At the Smithsonian, Akhmenrah’s tablet animates his wicked brother Kahmunrah, who seeks to usethe magical MacGuffin togain the power of a god. Most of the film is spent escaping or outwitting the evil Egyptian. Just like its predecessor, the framing device primarily exists to explore classic art, exotic animals, and historical antiquity through the lens of a breezy comedic adventure film. Almost every character aside from Larry and his son is a famous historical figure. His new love interest is Amelia Earhart, the Tuskegee Airmen make an appearance, the Lincoln Memorial offers sage wisdom, and General Custer appearsin a historically unpleasantheroic role. On the other side, Kahmunrah hires some of the most dangerous figures in history to carry out his will. That’s where Jon Bernthal enters the picture.
Who did Jon Bernthal Play?
Jon Bernthal appears as a young Al Capone. Bernthal was 32 at the time, only one year younger than Capone was when his reign as a crime boss ended. Capone is the go-to 20s gangster for most people. He’s been portrayed by a ton of talented performers over the years. The first example was probably Rob Steiger in 1959. Robert De Niro takes on the role inThe Untouchables, Brian De Palma’s 1987 film about Eliot Ness. Recently,the 2020 biopicCaponesaw Tom Hardy don the suit to portray the original Scarface. Though the man that would later portray The Punisher doesn’t look much like Al Capone, he could probably nail the role. Given the tone of theNight at the Museumfranchise, Bernthal’s Capone is a lot sillier than the average take on the character.
Within the context of the film, Capone stepped out of a photograph, leaving him with a permanent black-and-white effect. Bernthal puts on a fun accent and carries a Tommy gun toportray the famed Mafioso. Capone is brought in alongside Ivan the Terrible (Christopher Guest) and Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) as Kahmunrah’s generals. Each has an army of henchmen to call upon as they do battle with the good guys. Capone doesn’t get a lot to say in the film, but he’s depicted as a fairly classic movie gangster. He talks tough, almost every line he says is a threat, and he makes fun of enemies and allies alike. The character isn’t very complex, but Bernthal has a good time with the part.
Jon Bernthal is aversatile performer with a lot of interesting performances under his belt. Every actor has a few bit parts they’d be less likely to recall, but they’re still fun to watch. Bernthal is part of a triple-act alongside Guest and Chabat, and the comedic exchanges are interesting. Whether it’s a starring role in a massive series or a minor villain role in a moderately popular studio comedy, Bernthal is an asset to every project. Jon Bernthal portrays Al Capone inNight at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. It’s not as compelling a performance as one might imagine from that talent in that role, but it’s still a lot of fun.
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