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Movies / On DVD / Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum

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Night at the Museum (2006)

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Reviews Counted:126

Fresh:56

Rotten:70

Average Rating:5.3/10

Consensus: Parents might call this either a spectacle-filled adventure or a shallow and vapid CG-fest, depending on whether they choose to embrace this on the same level as their kids.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for mild action, language and brief rude humor

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Comedies

Theatrical Release:26-12-2006

Synopsis: Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck divorced father in this family-friendly tale directed by Shawn Levy (JUST MARRIED, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN). Larry has lots of ideas and dreams, but... Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck divorced father in this family-friendly tale directed by Shawn Levy (JUST MARRIED, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN). Larry has lots of ideas and dreams, but none of them come to fruition. In an attempt to prove his stability to his ex-wife (Kim Raver) and his son, Nicky (Jake Cherry), Larry accepts a job as a night guard at the Museum of Natural History. But the elderly night guards who hire him (played by entertainment legends Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, and Bill Cobbs) fail to mention one crucial detail: when the museum is closed, everything inside comes to life. From Attila the Hun to miniature Roman soldiers, African mammals to Neanderthal men, and Egyptian mummies to dinosaur skeletons, the museum teems with lively activity. Now it's Larry's job to control the mayhem and show his son that he is, indeed, a great man after all. There might be a moral to this story, which is based on the book of the same name by Milan Trenc, but the screenplay and action remain light and breezy. Stiller is perfect as Larry, particularly in scenes with a sneaky monkey who repeatedly gets the better of him. Brief appearances by Anne Meara (Stiller's real-life mother) and Paul Rudd add to the fun. Carla Gugino plays a museum docent, Ricky Gervais portrays the incomprehensible museum director, and Robin Williams moonlights as a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt that comes to life. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan are particularly amusing as a bickering miniature cowboy and a Roman soldier. [More]

Starring: Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller

Starring: Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs, Jake Cherry, Steve Coogan, Robin Williams

Director: Shawn Levy

Director: Shawn Levy
Producer: Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
Screenwriter: Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Reviews for Night at the Museum

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Not everything on display is sufficiently alive in this museum-set comedy adventure.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/13/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Dark night of the soul is more like it.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
03/03/07
Rob Mackie
Rob Mackie
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Largely mirthless comedy, a variation on those old stories of kids' toys coming to life at night or when the nursery is deserted.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
01/06/07
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

... an aimless and riotous mess.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
12/30/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sure, Night At The Museum isn’t about to win any awards for originality, but this is a flick that exhibits a fine sense of fun.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
12/30/06
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Though not quite as funny, clever or exciting as it thinks it is, this remains a watchable adventure comedy with good comic performances and the occasional moment of inspiration.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
12/30/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Showcasing a glittering array of comedy talent from Ben Stiller to Ricky Gervais, Night At The Museum is a rare family treat.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/30/06
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This energetically charmless ‘family’ fantasy lies there dead on screen, occasionally twitching at a funny line.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment 1 Comment
12/29/06
Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It looks great, but without sharp characters it's both lifeless and pointless. And strangely unfunny.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/18/06
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

This is a good example of Hollywood commercial calculation that actually pays off with a few entertainment dividends. It all seems very cold and calculated, and yet the film still turns out to be decently entertaining.

Full Review Source: Cinefantastique | comment Comment
06/17/09
Steve Biodrowski
Steve Biodrowski
Cinefantastique
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
10/18/08
Jam! Movies

...lightweight and inoffensive...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
07/28/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

. Its narrative is just pitched toward adolescent fantasy and silly, frequently obvious shenanigans to a hearty degree, and with no sort of consistent inner logic the movie tilts toward fleeting entertainment, with no inherent replay value or strongly fel

Full Review Source: IGN Movies | comment Comment
06/25/07
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
IGN Movies

it's one of those high concept childhood fantasy films that will stay in your heart long after watching it

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
06/01/07
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

What promises to be a fun Spielbergian romp for the whole family is a bit on the bland and mediocre side.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
05/24/07
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

The idea is ingenious. The execution? Not so much.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
05/03/07
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

It's a better than average CGI-fest, more often silly than funny. But it makes some good points about courage, self-respect, and the importance of learning about history.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
04/27/07
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Good idea. Bad execution.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
04/08/07
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

With this cast, there should be more laughs, and that blame falls partially on the script, but equally on how awfully Levy paces the film.

Full Review Source: UGO | comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Latest News for Night at the Museum

November 14, 2008: Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 5
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We continue our series of extended interviews by spending an hour in the company of Britain's funniest man. With a new chapter every day this week, today Gervais discusses the... More...

November 12, 2008: Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 3
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November 11, 2008: Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 2
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