... Night at the Museum is a family film aimed at first-graders, not teenagers.
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
Showcasing a glittering array of comedy talent from Ben Stiller to Ricky Gervais, Night At The Museum is a rare family treat.
... an over-produced, overly frenetic, obviously derivative family adventure ...
Night is definitely hampered by the fact that it has no viewpoint on history. Some satirical ideas would have elevated it onto a higher comic plane.
There isn't much to this concoction aside from special effects gone amuck.
The computer-generated action in the museum is predictably flawless but cleverly executed to make events far wittier and more exciting than they have any right to be.
This energetically charmless ‘family’ fantasy lies there dead on screen, occasionally twitching at a funny line.
What's more fun than "A Night at the Museum?" Well, in this case, sitting on the steps of any real museum.
It quickly becomes apparent that the film is pretty much a high concept in search of a plot.
Night at the Museum is the story of an ordinary guy given the opportunity to be extraordinary, but the movie itself is just an ordinary Ben Stiller vehicle.
A movie both kids and adults can enjoy. And you thought those went the way of the woolly mammoth.
This is basically a movie for youngsters, who will enjoy watching a T-rex skeleton scampering around the museum like a big puppy.
The comedy in 'Night at the Museum' fails to liven up until the last reel.
If nothing else, this should command the attention of kids who have grown tired of having their pictures taken with Santa.
Silly, shamelessly derivative slapstick - but at least it's family-friendly hyperactivity.
Latest News for Night at the Museum
November 14, 2008:
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November 13, 2008:
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November 12, 2008:
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November 11, 2008:
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