Night at the Museum (Fox) is a lightweight but diverting comedy-fantasy about Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), an impractical dreamer and perennial loser who takes a job as night watchman at New York's Museum of Natural History only to learn to his amazement that the dinosaur bones, stuffed animals, mummies and diorama characters all come to life after closing time.
The statue of Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), a cowboy (Owen Wilson), a Roman soldier (Steve Coogan), an Indian maiden (Mizuo Peck) and others join the pachyderms, lions and a mischievous monkey named Dexter in leading Larry on a whirlwind adventure of slapstick and mayhem. Larry must keep order, as the disapproving (and dimwitted) museum president, Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais), will notice if anything is amiss.
At first, Larry is overwhelmed by the sheer anarchy of the creatures' nocturnal activities, but eventually he's able to restore order and earns back the respect of his young son, Nick (Jake Cherry), as well as win the appreciation of the pretty museum docent, Rebecca (Carla Gugino), whom he befriends.
Director Shawn Levy's film — and Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon's script — could be much funnier. A loony confrontation where Larry pep-talks Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) about the love he apparently lacked as a child briefly demonstrates how witty the entire film might have been. Nonetheless, the effects are pretty terrific, Stiller is appealing, and old-timers such as Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs as the feisty daytime guards, and Stiller's mom, Anne Meara, as an employment counselor, add to the fun of this entertaining family film. Oh, and there's the standard, but always worthy, message about proving yourself against impossible odds.
The film is being shown in IMAX theaters as well as on conventional screens, and looks splendid when it's as big as the tyrannosaurus rex who gets the astonished Larry to play "fetch."
The film contains light slapstick violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
