48
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayIt's a fun ride, and the big payoff -- that history turns out to be way cooler than its reputation suggests -- is even more gratifying. Bully!
- 67Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldSeattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldThe truly bizarre Ben Stiller farce, Night at the Museum, is no laugh riot, and misfires all over the screen, but it develops its own unique charm and leaves a pleasant afterglow. A family audience could do worse for a comedy this holiday season.
- 63PremiereLaine EwenPremiereLaine EwenAfter a slow start, this feel-good family film is a nice postcard from the Big Apple that may benefit New York and the Museum of Natural History as much as it does 20th Century Fox.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe first half-hour's too slow; the last half-hour's too manic, as if to compensate. But at least it entertains, thanks in large measure to the buddy-pic relationship between Owen Wilson's miniature cowpoke and his Roman pal Steve Coogan.
- 50USA TodayClaudia PuigUSA TodayClaudia PuigThough the premise is clever -- everything comes to life at night in New York City's Natural History Museum -- this movie doesn't make the best comic use of the concept.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThis season's answer to "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," it's an overstuffed grab bag in which lumps of coal are glued together with melted candy.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenDirector Levy struggles to find a uniform pitch that would agreeably blend together the gags, the visual effects and the obligatory heart moments. In its absence, there's a stop-and-start hollowness that confuses noise and chaos for comic energy.
- 40VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangThis rambunctious, "Jumanji"-style extravaganza is a gallery of special effects in search of a story; rarely has so much production value yielded so little in terms of audience engagement.
- 40Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustLos Angeles TimesKevin CrustThe bulk of the movie is a series of sight gags and set pieces that wreak much havoc but little else.
- 38Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsStranded in this charmless fantasy, Stiller is reduced to his old halting, squirming tricks.