When I was a small boy, not more than five, my parents took me
on a visit to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. I was amazed and
awed-inspired at the sights on display in this majestic museum--but one memory
that I always took with me was the great whale. People who have visited the
Ocean Life display should immediately know what I mean. A gigantic, life-size
whale hangs from the ceiling of the vast, Ocean Life exhibit. It was designed so
that as you descended the steps, the whale looms over you, looking as if it had
just swam up for a closer look at the tiny people who entered its domain. The
toddler that I was at that time was both fascinated and scared spit-less at the
sight of this monstrosity, and I was convinced that the whale was carefully
watching my movements no matter where my parents led me in the exhibit.
I went back to the Museum of Natural History several more times over the course
of my childhood, and with each visit, my fear of the great whale was replaced by
the warm fondness of greeting an old friend once more. And so when I heard that
Night At The Museum took place at New York City’s Natural History Museum, I
eagerly sought to see it, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of my old friend,
the great whale, in the film. Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, a down on his
luck kind of a guy who’s a dreamer. He has good intentions, but flits from job
to job. Divorced, with a ten year old son, he finally buckles down and gets a
job as a night watchman at the Museum Of Natural History.
After the museum’s elderly guard Cecil ( Dick Van Dyke) takes Larry on a daytime
tour of the museum, Daley eagerly accepts the post, thinking it’s going to be a
nice, quiet gig. But what he doesn’t count on is an ancient Egyptian curse that
makes all of the exhibits in the museum come to life only at night. The hapless
Larry must deal with a hodge-podge of assorted people, critters and things that
all run amok in the halls of the museum, including Teddy Roosevelt
(Robin Williams) and the various armies of miniature men from several historical
diorama displays. Night At The Museum is a lot of fun, with Stiller perfectly
playing the straight man to the assorted crazies who roam the halls, including a
mischievous monkey with whom he makes things really personal.
The cast is great; Robin Williams really shines in his supporting role as TR,
while Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobb are superb as the wily old night
watchmen whom Larry takes the job from. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan are funny
as the leaders of the miniature cowboys and Roman legions, respectively, and
Carla Gugino sparkles in her part as the potential girlfriend. Ricky Gervais
rounds out the comedy all-star team on display here as the museum’s
administrator. The DVD comes in a special two-disc set that’s loaded with
special features, many of which are--like the film itself--are child friendly.
Night At The Museum is a great deal of fun for the whole family, and any movie
that encourages people to visit a museum can’t be all bad. Oh, and I was
tremendously pleased to see the great whale appear in the movie in a cameo, and
the old boy never looked better.
--SF
Main Review Page | Comedy Page |Email Me |Buy This DVD Right Here!