Night at the Museum (2006) User Reviews

Great kids movie!

[keithclock · 7/10 · 19 December 2006]

I think it's really annoying when I read reviews on here of a kids movie and someone tears it apart. Do these people expect to see Oscar award winning performances and production? As for this film, I thought it was really cute. It's perfect for a kid's imagination. I saw the movie at a pre-screening and every kid afterwards was smiling and excitedly talking about the movie. Sure there are some dumb jokes, etc., but overall the movie was great. It was especially cool to see Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney working together.

Take your kid to see this movie. Their imagination will go wild and they might even be curious to go to a history museum afterwards.

A fun flick!

[dark_lunar_wolf · 6/10 · 16 December 2006]

I got to see a showing of Night at the Museum last night. I was impressed by the trailers and I got really pumped when I saw people like Stiller, Wilson, Robins, Rudd and more famous comedian actors like Gervais in it.

The movie starts out slow but picks up once Stiller's character enters the museum. Once he enters the chaos begins.

The movie has it's up's and downs. Sometimes it feels like it was trying too hard to be funny. Don't get me wrong this movie is filled with laughs such as the Stiller and the monkey slapping each others face which made me laugh my ass off. Night at the Museum felt like a pattern to me, no funny parts to little giggles and then the movie would make you laugh so hard.

All the famous faces really brought charm to the movie and I don't think it would have work well with anyone else.

Night at the Museum is a fun movie worth seeing but not a movie you will be looking back on in 10 years time.

Museums; " Where History comes Alive "

[thinker1691 · 7/10 · 18 August 2007]

All Hollywood movies have one thing in common. They have the special ability to make past eras of history, rich, poignant and interesting. That is the premise of this film, "A Night at The Museum." It is the simple story of a father, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) who has developed a strained relation with his son. The boy, like most children wishes his bond with his father was more secure. Instead, Larry dreams of becoming an over-night success with his wild 'get rich' schemes. In doing so he puts in jeopardy the custody of his son. To remedy this situation, Larry takes a job as a night-watchman at a museum. Unbeknownst to him, three aging guards, Cecil, Gus and Reginald (Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs) do not inform him of their larcenous intentions, nor of the 'Special' magic which descends upon the place each night. Because of the three aging veterans of Hollywood and a well-placed Robin Williams, this movie is destined for Classic status. Due to the incredible artistry of special Effects, what the viewer sees is nothing short of wondrous. This is a fantastic movie. If pressed to find a flaw in the film, I'd say, I would have chosen someone like, Jim Carey or Michael Richards for the father/son scenes as Mr. Stiller was a bit artificial. Still, the movie is worth seeing as it is. ****

GREAT FUN, family or otherwise. Well worth your time and money.

[crazydave234 · 23 December 2006]

Excellent fun flick... and best movie Dinosaur in a long time ;-)

I promised my 8th grade nephew I'd take him to a movie this Christmas break - without his younger brothers and sisters. He originally wanted to see that dragon movie, but he found out it sucked, so I suggested this one.

With teens, there's the fine balance between too "kid" oriented and too dark, but he was laughing along the rest of the theater, and lost himself in the fun with the rest of us.

He wants to see it again, *I* want to see it again, and I recommend it for anyone with a sense of fun. It's also the first Ben Stiller movie in a while I can say that about. I hope you all reward the studio for putting out a true "family movie" for the holidays, so we'll see more in the future.

It was good to see Dick Van Dyke, Andy Rooney and Bill Cobbs in light, comic roles, and Robin Williams in a solid supporting role. They all lend the movie more "credibility."

GREAT FUN, easily worth 2 hours and $10.00, more than once over.

Fun and entertaining family film.

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 9 September 2009]

True, it is overlong, some parts are a tad slow particularly the beginning, and it was let down by bad marketing, but on the whole Night At The Museum is a fun and entertaining family film. Some of it is very, very funny, not hilarious, just funny, and Ben Stiller gives a very good account of himself as Larry. The museum characters are very well designed, and it was when they came to life when the film let itself go. Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney are great fun in their roles, but my favourite has to be Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt, in one of his more entertaining "recent" films. Plus the story is imaginative and fresh.

All in all, I've said this more than once already, a fun and entertaining film, flawed it is, but very enjoyable family viewing. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A Flawed But Entertaining Family Movie

[tabuno · 6/10 · 22 January 2019]

30 December 2006. This Jumanji (1995) like growing up tale for an adult male (Ben Stiller) taps into some nice special effects and family value themes that just don't seem to mesh completely. Ben sometimes ends up with his dumb, silly stereotyped character from earlier films. And the casting of criminal characters are a abit of a disappointing shock for older audience members, especially without warning or clues. The female protagonists in this movie are underdeveloped. With good intent, this fantasy world of a museum coming to life had a lot of excitement, cute scenes but it failed to deliver the potential as a classic family comedy fantasy. Ben Stiller's development as a character seemed to be uneven and inconsistent. And unlike Jumanji, it seemed to revolve around the exploits of one man, alone who had to grow up. There was some nice plausible explanations for the use of English language, yet even so it was unnecessarily inconsistent. Fun and entertaining, the movie doesn't reach the levels of its possibilities. Six out of Ten Stars.

History Comes to Life in a Delightful Adventure

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 30 April 2007]

In New York, the unemployed divorced Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is a complete loser. His son Nick (Jake Cherry) is very disappointed with his father that is gong to be evicted, and Larry accepts the job of night watchman in the Museum of Natural History as the substituted for three old security guards that have just retired to raise some money and pay his bills. In his first nightshift, Larry realizes that everything at the museum comes to life at night. The Museum transforms in a complete chaos with the inexperienced Larry, and he learns that since an old Egyptian stone came to the Museum in 1950, the wax statues come to life until dawn. When Larry brings his son to spend a night with him, the three old guards break in the Museum to steal the magic stone. Larry organizes the historic characters to help him to arrest the criminals and save the museum.

"Night at the Museum" is a delightful adventure, with an original story, great special effects and funny situations. Ben Stiller, as usual, is hilarious in the role of a father that is a complete loser and competing with a successful stepfather and has the chance of his lifetime. Together with Robin Williams, Patrick Gallagher, Steve Coogan and Owen Wilson, they are responsible for an excellent family entertainment. The T-Rex chasing his bone as a little dog is stunning and one of the funniest jokes ever. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Uma Noite no Museu" ("A Night at the Museum")

Too much Stiller, not enough anybody else

[bburns · 6/10 · 10 February 2007]

I went to see "Night at the Museum" not hoping for a masterpiece, but expecting to be entertained. Alas, I had my hopes set too high.

One would think that in a film with Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, Robin Williams and Owen Wilson would be filled to the brim with great comedic performances. But there is only one actor with any significant screen time who is allowed to let loose with his performance, and that is Ben Stiller: an unfunny guy whose reputation is built on the backs of funny co-stars such as Cameron Diaz, Andy Dick, Janeane Garafalo, and his father Jerry Stiller.

The premise of the film--taken from a children's book by Milan Trenc--is that Ben Stiller is a divorced dad who takes a job as the new night watchman at the New York Museum of Natural History in order to prove to his son that he isn't an unemployable loser. Due to an ancient Egyptian talisman on display at the museum, all the exhibits come to life after closing time, and he must make sure they don't make a mess or leave the museum before dawn. Unfortunately for him, he's not very good at either of these duties. Unfortunately for me as a viewer, I was subjected to nearly two hours of his awful mugging and wooden one-liners.

In the 1990's, Robin Williams specialized in these types of films (e.g. "Mrs. Doubtfire", "Jumanji") and managed to elicit guffaws from the dry, preachy material. But now that he's too old to play the father of a kid who's not even in middle school yet, he is relegated to being Stiller's fatherly adviser as Teddy Roosevelt, which he plays without his trademark comic genius.

Instead we have Ben Stiller in the lead. And although he is not listed as producer, director or screenwriter, one gets the sense that Stiller was the guy in charge during the making of the movie. He is in almost every scene, and most of the shots in this film are close-ups of his face. And the casting of Anne Meara--Stiller's mother--as an employment counselor would probably not have taken place if Stiller were merely the lead actor on this project.

I realize the preceding paragraphs make the movie sound worse than it really is. There are good things about it. I will give the film-makers credit that this film--although appropriate for kids--is not strictly a children's movie. The camera-work is uniformly great. The CGI special effects--while not LOTR-quality--are better than those of many other effects-based films (i.e. "The Chronicles of Narnia", the second "Star Wars" trilogy). And I did chuckle at Owen Wilson as Jed the miniature cowboy. Unfortunately, the visual goodies take a back seat to Stiller's performance and a plot with more holes than Swiss cheese. And Wilson's role was much too small (no pun intended).

In recent years, we have seen lots of films such as "Toy Story", "The Rookie", and "Elf" that prove that you can make a film for kids without dumbing things down. "Night at the Museum" is not one of those films. Instead it is a dull, silly ego trip for an untalented actor who can only dream about being as funny as the people he works with. 6 out of 10.

Finally, a real family film

[Lady_Arwyn · 8/10 · 25 December 2006]

What a cast! Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, Dick VanDyke, Mickey Roney, Bill Cobbs...

I'm not a Stiller fan, but in this one he was really great, he steps out of his usual shtick to really anchor this movie. For once he doesn't seem to be trying too hard and avoids overdoing it.

This is one of Robin Williams' better modern roles, he's toned down but still quintessentially Williams. It was nice to see him in a role that he can both take seriously *and* have some fun with it.

Owen Wilson is still awesome, basically reprising his Shanghai Noon character, but with a cute, rather unexpected twist.

Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs are classic, they haven't lost a step. Rooney is still the little bantam rooster with the attitude! Van Dyke clearly anchors the trio. Cobbs wasn't given much to work with for his character, but his quality shines through. These veteran comedic actors bring a bit of class and legitimacy to the film.

The movie is well paced, jumping almost directly into the action, with plenty of laughs. From Rexie's puppy-dog antics to the war between Old West Cowboys and Roman Centurians, there is something around every corner.

The only stinker in this film is the kid. He's totally under-utilized for the storyline, they could have improved the storyline by either leaving the kid out of the movie entirely, or by giving him something to do. The pseudo-love-interest, too, should have either been played up or left out.

This is an entirely enjoyable family film. My 87 year old grandmother-in-law loved it, as did my 9 year old daughter and my teenage sons! Truly something for everyone.

Amusing film with adventures,action,entertainment and full of imagination and fantasy

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 20 April 2007]

The film concerns about a divorced father(Ben Stiller)of his spouse(Kim Raver) and with a son,he's unemployed when gets a job at Museum of Natural History of New York City.He's assigned by veterans security agents(Dick Van Dyke,Mickey Rooney,Bill Cobbs) to night vigilance.There knows a beautiful tour guide(Carla Gugino).But the allegedly easy employment results to be a roller-coaster when encounters what an Egyptian curse causes the ancient animals,beasts,historic personages and miniature are brought to life originating wreak havoc and complications for the unlucky night watchman.Thus several animals and historic characters come to life , like a Tyrannosaurus Rex,lions,monkeys,besides a Neardenthal cavemen,Vikings,Attile(Patrick Gallaher) and the Huns,Chinese Terra-cotta soldier,Christopher Columbus,Lewis and Clark with Sacajawea(Mizuo Peck)Teodoro Roosevelt(Robin Williams)and Octavius(Steve Coogan) and a cowboy(Owen Wilson).

This blockbuster displays action,adventures,fantasy and an enjoyable father-son relationship.This fantastic film begins like a familiar drama and continues with an authentic sense of magic and wonder ,wind up an overlong bombastic wild ride made by excellent special effects and with an exciting final pursuit.Spectacular images and computer generator set pieces action with several personages and animals can not erase the charm of characters and ideas especially in the hands of peerless casting.Colorful and lush cinematography by Guillermo Navarro(Guillermo del Toro's usual cameraman)and lively musical score by Alan Silvestri(Robert Zemeckis's usual musician).The motion picture is beautifully executed with phenomenal production values and well directed by Shawn Levy,he's a familiar cinema expert:Cheaper by the dozen,Pink Panther,Just married.The film contains numerous scenes have you on the edge of your seat with a stunning array of technical images what will be enjoyed for all family.

Very Funny

[terperin · 8/10 · 28 December 2006]

I saw it with a big group of friends (all in their early 20's) on opening night, and we all thought it was hilarious. It wasn't until a few days later that I heard reviews for it that were less than favorable. I thought the movie was funny and light-hearted. Yeah, some parts may not have seemed to make sense, but come on. It's a movie about exhibits in a museum coming to life - I don't think the creators were aiming for realism. I thought Ben Stiller did a great job, as did other supporting actors, especially the security guards. Everyone in the theater clapped when it was over, so they must have liked it too. I would definitely recommend it.

Much Better Than Expected

[LowWacker · 7/10 · 13 January 2007]

I am not an admirer of Ben Stiller's comic talents, nor of the movie work of Robin Williams. I volunteered to take my 7-year-old grandson out for an afternoon, and this was on the agenda. My worst fears initially appeared justified, as we were served a large helping of the Stiller charm-challenged schlub. When the museum chaos started early I steeled myself for another hour of nonstop slapstick mayhem and mugging.

Wrong.

The movie had a plot, and it was not a bad one. And Stiller was very funny in several scenes. The treat, though, was Robin Williams, who gives a restrained but authoritative and even somewhat touching portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt. An uncredited Owen Wilson's Jedediah's interactions with Steve Coogan's Octavias were a sly pleasure.

Hey, I laughed, my grandson laughed. No swearing or nudity, lots of movie references for the cinephiles. Ben, all is not forgiven, but you kinda won me over in this one.

Pretty entertaining

[tastyhotdogs · 7/10 · 1 January 2007]

As you can work out from the trailer, this movie is all about a Museum where the exhibits come to life at night.

Ben Stiller plays a down-and-outer who needs to find a job or face losing visits from his son. He reluctantly takes a job as a night security guard at a museum. Things go crazy though when he discovers everything comes to life from evening until dusk. His first night nearly kills him, but faced with little choice he returns, this time aiming to be able to tame the exhibits. Soon he discovers why the exhibits come to life and has to work out how to keep them in check and keep his job.

Pleasant movie, with some good cameos. Besides the obvious fact that exhibits can't come to life, there are several other annoying plot holes, plus Stiller's son in the movie puts in one of the worst efforts in recent memory (imagine this movie with a Macualey Culkin-like son). Something in it for adults and kids will enjoy.

A Funny Movie for the Family

[imdb-10148 · 7/10 · 22 February 2007]

Night at the Museum came through on both the realistic effects and on providing an actual moral to the story. Maybe the moral was the influence of Robin Williams who plays a minor but pivotal role in the movie. There are a couple of places in the movie where you might actually discern the computer generated graphics, but for the amount needed to create the movie they did well.

It was nice to see some familiar faces who you may not have seen on the screen in a few years. Dick Van Dyke brings his usual comedic performance and is still showing some of his limber moves. Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs both shine again, each showing their trademark performances as well.

I will not spoil the movie for you but I will say stay for the credits. You always need one last laugh. Go see the movie and prepare from some laughs and a little bit of sympathy from this fairly decent line-up of stars.

Well... I laughed! So did everyone in the theater.

[mreliae · 8/10 · 22 December 2006]

Don't go into this movie expecting a complex plot and deep insight into the human condition. The story and plot are lightweight but that doesn't matter too much. The characters are likable enough and the situation is definitely full of possibilities.

The humor is silly and well-done slapstick without much in the way of vulgarity. I especially enjoyed the antics and heroics of the miniature Cowboys, Mayans and Romans. (Though my inner stickler was a tad annoyed with slight shifts in their scale.)

I recommend it for family viewing. My 8-year-old was in stitches AND asking me questions about history after the movie.

Scandalous waste of time, talent and money

[jockreby2000 · 3/10 · 14 January 2007]

It's much easier to break something than it is to make it. Criticism is a cinch to hand out, but in the case of Night at the Museum, it's well worth it.

The amount of money that must have been spent on this film may be enough to fund a town in Africa for a long time. In some aspects of Night at the Museum the budget was well spent. The general design and special effects in particular were both beautiful and imaginative. The money paid to the various high-profile actors would have been substantial, and it's a credit to the producers of this film that they were able to assemble such a high-profile cast.

But no matter how much of a budget is available, it's still impossible to create a successful, satisfying end product without a good set of fundamentals. The plot of Night at the Museum was lame at best. Characters were some of the most predictable, unimaginative and one-dimensional that I have ever encountered. (Attila the Hun for example). This was particularly disappointing in that much of Night of the Museum purports to be about the importance of learning, whereas the audience are treated like a bunch of ignoramuses. The intended audience of children is no excuse: the most successful children's films are those who actually treat their audiences with respect, not purely dishing up half-baked intellectually-vacant crash-bang as is the case with so much of this film. There's nothing wrong with a lot of action, but it needs to be underpinned by more substance that was in the case here.

The stellar cast alluded to earlier was largely wasted. There was a strong sense of the actors 'going through the motions' - particularly Owen Wilson and Robin Williams: the latter of whom needs to be advised that he's done enough pseudo-deep-and-emotional roles now. However the plot was so bad that one can hardly blame them for delivering shallow performances. Even a comic genius such as Ben Stiller was trying hard, but his heart just wasn't in it.

To top it off, the myriad of cutesy, saccharine interactions between Ben Stiller and his fictional son were positively vomit-inducing. (Suspension of disbelief aside, do children and their parents in the US actually communicate like this? Are children to be negotiated with as if they are little adults?) But this was purely symptomatic of the general malaise and laziness of so much of Night at the Museum. The only positive thing from this two hours of my life is that I fell asleep for half of it.

Another movie let-down by bad marketing.

[Deja_Entendu · 8/10 · 18 December 2006]

I came into this movie thinking that it would suck AND disliking Ben Stiller very much. But I thought, hey, free tickets, Monday night, how bad could it be? Well, it wasn't. It was much funnier and had a much better script than I had anticipated. Stiller, famous for being *in* funny situations and not making them, actually acted like a comic character, something of a cross between Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler. Usuaully he's a passive element, but here he propelled the comedy further. Great job. Also, a fantastic group of supporting characters like Gus, Mr. McPhee and Atilla the Hun. The only problem I really had was the son, who was much too perfect and pacific to be of any interest, and was, at most times, quite annoying.

So all of you nay-sayers who judge the film by its previews, tut-tut to you. It's funny, it's fast, and wastes no time with kicking it into high gear. Great special effects, especially the T-Rex. Also, with the poor previews, it leaves you to enjoy the many delightful small twists and turns that keep the movie fresh.

So take off that cloak of prejudice and enjoy, it won't disappoint.

A funny family film

[adudewhoiscool · 6/10 · 1 January 2007]

"Night at the Museum" is a great family movie. If you enjoy movies like "Jumanji," you should really enjoy this. Everybody in your family, no matter the age, can enjoy this movie. If you want to see a movie with good humor and visuals, you should consider viewing this. You should not be disappointed, and it is worth your $8.75+! This movie is a great way to end the 2006 movie year positively.

Good-hearted dreamer Larry Daley thinks he is destined for something big, but unfortunately he has not been able to hold a real job. He is then hired as a night guard for a museum. Larry only took the job to impress his son; he never expected this job to bring out any excitement, but that was before his discovery. Daley discovers that everything in the museum, literally, comes to life when the sun comes down. Once the sun comes down, the fun begins.

The cast is the best part of "Night at the Museum." Ben Stiller is funny, as always, as Larry Daley. Joining Stiller are three comedic legends (Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, and Bill Cobbs) as the museum's former night guards. Robin Williams is also there as a likable Teddy Roosevelt. The highlights of this film came from a roman miniature named Octavius, played by Steve Coogan, and cowboy miniature named Jedidiah, played by Owen Wilson. Also in this all-star cast is Ricky Gervais as Mr. McPhee.

With that big cast, you should expect some big laughs, and you get them. The humor maybe a little childish and silly, but it is a guarantee to make any age group laugh aloud at least once. Everybody in the theater was laughing frequently. Besides the special effects, the jokes and the humor involved with all the characters was the highlight of this fun family movie. This movie may not be the funniest movie ever made, but it did its job to contain enough laughs for a whole family.

The special effects were surprising good. It is not surprising because every recent movie has been impressive as far as the special effects aspects go. The look of the fossilized Tyrannosaurus Rex was extremely cool. It was the most realistic fossilized T-Rex this reviewer has seen in a family movie. These special effects may not compare to some of the bigger budget films, but they do the job. They are certainly a big improvement over the 1996 movie, "Jumanji."

There are still some negatives. There are some lapses of logic and other plot holes scattered through this movie. Luckily, considering the premise and the silliness of the movie, those minor things can be ignored. Film critics probably will not ignore them, because it is their duty is to tear every single movie apart, regardless of its quality. Luckily, the average moviegoer is smart enough to ignore those minor things that take away from the enjoyment of this picture. The only real complaint is at the beginning of the end credits, they start out with a rap song. It did not fit in to the rest of the movie and, because of that, it felt out of place.

Overall, if you want to take the family out to a nice, clean movie goes see this. It has all the elements needed to make everybody from the family smile. With the price of admission to the cinema these days, do not worry about the price because it is worth it. Do yourself the favor, ignore the critics who have trashed this movie, and make your own opinion. It is recommended for everybody who is just looking for good entertainment. It is also a recommend viewing at your local IMAX.

What a night...

[ClaytonDavis · 5/10 · 13 January 2007]

Ben Stiller stars in this offbeat family film about Larry Daley, a divorced guy trying to make it "big." He jumps from job to job trying to hit the "big one" and be successful. When his son expresses his concern of changing careers so often and moving, Larry decides to settle down and take a night shift guard position at the Museum of Natural History. Much to Larry's surprise there is magical artifact that brings all the different ancient things to life at night. Struggling with this new responsibility, we see Stiller fumbling around and trying to communicate to these living artifacts like prehistoric cavemen, prehistoric T-Rex, etc. There are some comedic elements that could bring some giggles but the story is a little flat and a bit lacking in character development.

The revelation of the film is the visual effects as it parades throughout the hollow story. The film is a finalist in the Visual Effects category at this year's Academy Awards but the spectacle isn't as eye-catching as previous winners, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings, or What Dreams May Come. Compared to other contenders like Superman Returns or X Men: The Last Stand, this film doesn't measure.

The film is a light-hearted children's film that is worth a pop in the DVD player but nothing else. It got to its target audience.

Grade: **/****

Not masterpiece but very entertaining piece of film history

[nko_123 · 9 March 2007]

Night at the Museum. The name tell's it all. I gotta to tell you; the idea of the movie is simply great. Maybe it's not very original idea, but who cares.

With 110 million dollar budget Shawn Levy has directed 110 minutes piece of film history. It's not the Casablanca or The Godfather. It's more piece of SFX history and one of the most entertaining Hollywood comedies of the year 2006. Also cinematography is amazing in some parts of the film and Alan Silvestri's music is great but in some scenes too big for the story.

Ben Stiller act like he have always done. Robin Williams on the supporting role is quite good. Actually, I don't anymore think why he won Oscar few years ago. Old actors Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs and Mickey Rooney are making probably their last really big movie.

If you wan't spend quiet night watching a good popcorn movie, this is it. I saw it on the big screen and I don't think it's even nearly as good on the DVD and small TV.

7 of 10 with 7 reasons: - good idea - very entertaining - beautiful cinematography - good actors - beautiful beginning - good special effects - good music

3 reasons why not 10 of 10: - only the last part of the film was good on every scale - not so great direction in some scenes - too dramatic, powerful music for some scenes

Very Fun, not Academy award material, but fun.

[dcpunkrocka36 · 7/10 · 22 December 2006]

I thought this movie was very cool, not so much as a one of the movies you see that wins awards. You could tell when they made this movie they weren't trying to make a movie that changes the world or win anything, but they made this movie to give the viewer a good time. This movie was much like Jumanji, in the sense of a fun ride.

Robin Williams was also very good in this, he didn't have the usual humor he has in most of his movies but this role,i thought, brought out a different side of Williams. Ben Stiller was the usual Ben Stiller, just a rambling guy always getting himself into trouble, but i thought Owen Wilson's Role stuck out more, even though he wasn't in the highlighted cast

So definitely i would see it to have a really good time 7.5/10

i didn't find it funny,but i still liked it

[disdressed12 · 6/10 · 23 April 2011]

i gotta be honest,i didn't laugh once while watching this movie.yet for some reason i still enjoyed it.it has its fair share of excitement and i liked the wide array of characters.it takes awhile to get going,but once it does,it's actually not a bad little movie.Ben Stilller stars.Kim Raver,who i really like,has very small role,as does Carla Gugino.Paul Rudd has what amounts to a cameo.there are a lot of big names in supporting or even smaller oles in this film.too many to list here.it's nice to see Mickey Rooney,Bill Cobbs and Dick Van Dyke together.they had good chemistry,and were amusing.even though i didn't find the film funny,i still found it entertaining.for me,Night at the Museum is a 6/10

Night Life At The Museum of Natural History

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 15 July 2018]

Night At The Museum has Ben Stiller in a cash flow problem. One get rich quick scheme after another has fallen through and he needs a job just so he can keep joint custody of his son Jake Cherry. In a nice scene at the Employment office where Ben's real life mom Anne Meara he lands a job as the night watchman at the Museum Of Natural History. The job comes with a few hidden perks.

Like since 1953 the exhibits come alive in the evening hours. All as a result of a tablet from ancient Egypt with a spell that was there. Acting as Empresario of the exhibits is Robin Williams as President Theodore Roosevelt who was instrumental in founding the museum.

But previous night guards Bill Cobbs, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke know about the nightlife and the tablet and they want it for themselves.

I think the special effects kind of overwhelm the story though it's a good one. Stiller is fine as your every man Walter MItty like dreamer. Small wonder he wound up playing Walter Mitty later on.

The film is a lot of fun and with a cast like this it would be a shame for the whole family to miss it.

Good movie for everyone

[djfrost-46786 · 6/10 · 19 January 2019]

Great movie with great actors. It doesn't let you down with humor, acting or the plot. Not really what you find today.

As good a family film as you'll find this holiday

[terrycarter · 8/10 · 17 December 2006]

Slightly overlong - and lacking the perhaps obligatory love interest - this is as good a film as any parent will be able to excite their kids with this holiday period - well certainly in the UK. The film has huge plot holes and probably hundreds of continuity errors but rampaging dinosaurs, goodish CGI and another athletic comic turn from Ben Stiller, together with the gorgeous Carla Gugino make this near perfect Xmas cinematic fair.

The Museum of Natural History is suffering a downturn in visitor numbers and has to make cutbacks by way of night security men. Step up Larry Daly (Stiller) in an attempt to retain his home and convince ex wife that he is a role model for their impressionable son. The film's premise that the various waxwork and skeleton inhabitants come to life at night due to the presence of a magical Egyptian golden tablet placed 50 years before is, of course, to suspend disbelief beyond anything else you'll be expected to this year - but anyone at a loss for an excuse to get the kids out of the house over the Christmas period could do a lot worse than spend just under a couple of hours at the multiplex to see what is a cross between Jumanji and the Indian in the Cupboard.