NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

REVIEWED BY CARISSA HORTON

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements, crude humor

Rated:

Unemployable Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is informed by his ex-wife Erica (Kim Raver) that he needs to find a job for the sake of their son Nick (Jake Cherry). All his life, Larry bounces from one scheme to the next, never planting his feet or thoughts in one place for a lengthy period of time. But now, with his son’s respect at stake, Larry makes an honest effort to find a steady income. His hunt ends at the door of the Museum of Natural History for a job interview as a night watchman.

An apparently simple task, although word of mouth says it’s difficult to impress the employer. But the smiles of Cecil (Dick Van Dyke) and Reginald (Bill Cobbs), former night guards, now becoming retirees, are encouraging. Minus the scowl and belligerent behavior of the third guard, Gus (Mickey Rooney), Larry is hired for the position. Cecil’s final word of advice? "Don’t let anything in, or out." To which Larry only stares at him in confusion before accepting the full responsibility of the museum’s safekeeping. Only this is no ordinary museum. When the doors are locked, and everyone but the night watchman has gone home, every figure; wax, metal, or otherwise, comes alive through the magical powers of a tablet from ancient Egypt. Larry meets the profoundly wise Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), attempts to talk to Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck) behind her glass panel and violently quarrels with the local monkey and troublemaker, Dexter. 

Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) rampages through the halls of the museum, western cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Roman Centurion Octavious (Steve Coogan) are at war, and the Neanderthals indulge their quest for fire. Even a dinosaur skeleton comes alive with a thirst for playing fetch and all Larry can do is stare, run, scream, and struggle for survival. Until he discovers that the museum really is amazing, the characters really need his help, and that their entire existence is at stake when criminals seek the tablet for their own personal gain. Can he bring these people together to fight for their survival? Or will they destroy each other before anyone else has the chance?

What you have here is a wacky combination of historical fact and science fiction. As we all know, museum pieces cannot come to life. Yet for this movie, we believe it is possible. The acting is mostly good, with stellar performances by Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller, and Robin Williams. It really was wonderful to see the two former actors performing again, especially Mickey Rooney’s character Gus. He is the proverbial spitfire. Dick Van Dyke’s smile and hair haven’t changed an iota in twenty years. Perhaps their final farewell to the cinema and I’m glad they could make it together. You might even notice the presence of Kim Raver, well-known to fans of the television series 24, as Jack Bauer’s current girlfriend. Owen Wilson’s cowboy is probably the wimpiest and most unrealistic adaptation ever viewed. But it was undoubtedly intentional since he and Octavious are either best buds or attempting to kill one another throughout the entire film. After Shanghai Knights, what more could one expect?

Content contains some rude humor. A monkey does his business on a man’s shoulder and gets severely chastised for it. A character is accused of spying on a woman in her glass case. Violence is mild. One wax character is sliced in half and another character melts some of his wax and reassembles him. It’s believed that two characters are blown up in a moving car. A dinosaur skeleton chases a man down the hallway and the Huns violently brandish their swords. It’s known that their preferable form of torture is tearing a man limb from limb (never actually seen). One man is threatened and then beaten up by three other characters (no blood). There is a brief mention of evolution.

Overall, the movie was cute. It lagged in places, some jokes fell flat, but others completely endeared the film to the audience. Night at the Museum is a safe bet to take your family to see. My sister and I laughed harder than we have in a long time and any questionable content is easily overcome by the positive side. Larry tries desperately to make peace between the characters from so many backgrounds and eras, finally with success. He brings the evil characters to a point of humility and honesty and even employs a bit of matchmaking. Some families may question the magical element, but I hardly noticed it, being a sci-fi lover. So take a break and pick up your family for an enjoyable evening of peril, hilarity, and just plain silliness. Night at the Museum delivers it all!