What a dull, nice movie, wrenched from a wild premise and battered into docility.
Comment
01/03/07
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Night at the Museum (2006)
39
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:28
Fresh:11
Rotten:17
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.
Theatrical Release:Dec 22, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $250,781,332
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... [More]
Starring: Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Ben Stiller
Director: Shawn Levy
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Reviews for Night at the Museum
Top CriticA film that veers, often without much direction, between a family-friendly comic romp and an attempt to touch our souls with heartfelt emotion.
01/03/07
Top CriticAs mindless spectacle, this is reasonably entertaining.
01/03/07
Top CriticIt’s just so dopey.
12/26/06
Top CriticRarely has so much production value yielded so little in terms of audience engagement.
12/22/06
Top CriticFun for the whole family? Probably not, but certainly for those members who are only permitted to hang out when the lawyers say it's okay.
12/22/06
Top CriticLike the institution it portrays, Night at the Museum comes alive after dark. It's a perfect movie to take the kids to. Who knows, it might even inspire them to want to visit an actual museum.
12/22/06
Top CriticIt might be fair to give Ben Stiller an 'A' for effort, but to call what he does in this movie "acting" is a misnomer. He does a lot of running around, occasionally falling down or bumping into things.
12/22/06
Top CriticThe special effects are far more inspired than the comedy in Night at the Museum, which strands several generations of performers in a highly derivative script and hackneyed direction.
12/22/06
Top CriticReally young kids may like the noise and chaos of the movie, but the real museum on Central Park West has its own 'A Night at the Museum' program that sounds a lot better.
12/22/06
Top CriticNight at the Museum is not just a wild runaround of computer-generated creatures. Well, OK, that's mostly what it is. Still, there is something of a plot.
12/22/06
Top CriticThe special effects rule, yet they don't overpower simple, character-driven slapstick.
12/22/06
Top CriticThough far less ambitious than Jurassic Park, Night at the Museum is also far less terrifying than Jumanji. It is happy where it is, and the audience I saw it with seemed to appreciate that.
12/22/06
Top CriticNight at the Museum, in fact, is stuffed with smart performers doing graciously silly work, and all [director Shawn] Levy has to do is manage traffic.
12/22/06
Top CriticIf only family comedies would evolve and not assume that a good concept, convincing special effects and a strong cast automatically add up to fun.
12/21/06
Top CriticNight at the Museum adheres to the current Hollywood philosophy that coherence doesnt matter if enough stuff is thrown onto the screen.
12/21/06
Top CriticAll attempts at non-effects storytelling fall completely flat.
12/21/06
Top CriticIt's definitely a cute, workable premise, but as mishandled by director Shawn Levy, the inspiration that was required to make Museum fly is seldom on exhibit in this interminably monotonous production.
12/21/06
Top CriticThe special effects are a blast. The T-Rex skeleton looks authentic as it clatters down the hallway after a terrified Larry. But even better is the remarkable, star-studded ensemble.
12/21/06
Top CriticCavemen and dinosaurs, cowboys and Roman soldiers, lions and zebras, all running amok, sounds like more fun than it is.
12/21/06
Top CriticLatest News for Night at the Museum
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November 13, 2008:
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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
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 a... More...
November 11, 2008:
Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 2
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 his... More...
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