about as distracting and inoffensive as Jumanji before it, and heck, it might even teach kids that history can be fun!
Night at the Museum (2006)
Tomatometer
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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: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... 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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Release:
May 12, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- NTSC
- Keep Case
- Full Frame - 1.33
- Widescreen - 2.35
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital Surround - French, Spanish
- DTS 5.1 ES - English
- Subtitles - English, Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary:
- 1. Shawn Levy - Director
- 2. Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon - Writers
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.
Stiller correctly plays straight man to the army of CGI beasties, but also to some of the world's best comics.
An inquisitive mind's thirst for understanding runs counter to your enjoyment, when a film's heart is usually in the right place but its brain is on permanent vacation.
It's repetitive and strangely invested in its silly explanation of how the animated creatures phenomenon comes about (something about an Egyptian pharaoh's tablet).
What a dull, nice movie, wrenched from a wild premise and battered into docility.
A film that veers, often without much direction, between a family-friendly comic romp and an attempt to touch our souls with heartfelt emotion.
The central situation in Night at the Museum is never thought-out into a full premise.
The waste of talent -- especially of two comic veterans -- is occasionally sad to watch.
Night at the Museum is more amusement park ride than a walk through the halls of history, but sometimes a slap fight with a monkey is preferable to a lesson on Sacajawea.
This isn't an extremely terrible movie, it really wants to be an original film and in a way the idea behind it actually is BUT it is just too bad the execution is so by-the-numbers and emotionally empty.
For all the money it must've taken to get the effects and the cast, make sure you let your funny people be funny.
Stiller's continued efforts to court the broadest possible audience has taken the edge off his comedy.
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.
Levy, for his part, keeps the pace brisk and the storytelling simple.
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.
Latest News for Night at the Museum
November 14, 2008:
Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 5
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 finds a job for... More...
November 13, 2008:
Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 4
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...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
| 57% 57% | 9 |
| 44% 44% | Jennifer's Body |
| 58% 58% | A Perfect Getaway |
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