Not everything on display is sufficiently alive in this museum-set comedy adventure.
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
Reviews for Night at the Museum
Largely mirthless comedy, a variation on those old stories of kids' toys coming to life at night or when the nursery is deserted.
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.
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.
Showcasing a glittering array of comedy talent from Ben Stiller to Ricky Gervais, Night At The Museum is a rare family treat.
This energetically charmless ‘family’ fantasy lies there dead on screen, occasionally twitching at a funny line.
It looks great, but without sharp characters it's both lifeless and pointless. And strangely unfunny.
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.
. 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
it's one of those high concept childhood fantasy films that will stay in your heart long after watching it
What promises to be a fun Spielbergian romp for the whole family is a bit on the bland and mediocre side.
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.
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.
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