Movie Review: A Night at the Museum is a Night of Family Entertainment

I'll be honest: I wasn't gung-ho at the thought of seeing this movie. The previews made the movie look lame. I reluctantly agreed to see it on New Year's Eve, and I was surprisingly delighted at what I saw.

Ben Stiller plays Larry, and Larry is what one would call a wannabe inventor. He's attempted to invent, but hasn't really invented anything worthwhile. Larry can't seem to keep a job or a stable home. His son, Nick, lives with Larry's ex-wife and new fiancée. At the beginning of the movie, Larry once again is about to be evicted from his apartment if he doesn't get a job ASAP. He doesn't want to let down his son once again, and seems to be jealous because Nick is starting to look up to mom's fiancée and is realize that his dad is sort of a loser. Larry goes to an employment agency and they refer him to the Museum of Natural History. Turns out they need a security guard for the graveyard shift because they are canning the three guards they currently have, played by Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs. Larry gets more than he bargains for when he realizes that the exhibits at the museum come to life at night. He goes to get a drink of water from the fountain and sees the Tyrannosaurus Rex display come alive. It turns out that the Egyptian exhibit has a spell on it that causes everything at the museum to come to life! The catch is that nothing can leave the museum because if they are outside when the sun comes up, they turn to ashes. Larry is ready to quit, because he feels that he can't handle the responsibility, but a wax replica of President Theodore Roosevelt, played by Robin Williams, encourages him to step up and take on the responsibility. Can Larry keep everything together when things start to get really out of control?

This movie is suitable for adults and children alike. I saw parts that my seven year old would chuckle at, such as the Easter Island Head, who has a love for gum and asks "dumb dumb for some gum gum". (Personally, he was one of my favorites). My husband and brother-in-law both thoroughly enjoyed certain parts of the movie (such as the letting air out of the tire incident between the cowboy and the Roman). There are a plethora of historical figures in the movie, from Attila the Hun, to Neanderthals, to Sacagawea (whom Teddy Roosevelt has a crush on) and Lewis and Clark. Not to be overlooked is Owen Wilson, who plays Jedadiah, a cowboy from the Old West who has nightly battles with Octavius Caesar and the Romans.

All in all, it impressed me more than the previews let on. I won't say every adult will enjoy this, but if you are looking for some mindless laughs, Night at the Museum will provide.