Night at the Museum
Friday, 29 Dec 2006 13:29
Ben Stiller's performance can get somewhat tiresome
In a nutshell….
Fun and charming family comedy
What's it all about?
Forty-something drifter Larry Daley (Stiller) takes a job at a museum of history in an attempt to win back the respect of his son, but soon realises that all is not as it seems, as night falls and the museum comes to life. As chaos ensues, Larry is forced to turn to figures of history such as President Roosevelt for advice on how to restore order, as cowboys, Romans, dinosaurs and lions cause havoc in the museum.
Just as Larry appears to have the situation under control after gaining the trust of the live exhibits, the Egyptian tablet that is the source of the magic is stolen, and it is up to Larry to gather his troops together and regain the priceless artefact.
Who's in it?
Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Robin Williams head a formidable cast. There are also plenty of other cameos from the likes of Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Steve Coogan and Dick Van Dyke.
Stiller does not stray far from his usual role, playing the lovable, if at times irritating, guy who is down on his luck, but looking to win back the love of a girl or family member, or both in this particular case. His usual blend of slapstick humour and comedy voices can be found in abundance in this film, perhaps most memorably as he becomes involved in a slapping contest with a monkey.
Gervais, who plays the manager of the museum, Dr McPhee, does seem somewhat out of place and many of his jokes fall flat.
As an example…
Jedadiah: I don't want to be manhandled!
Larry: No! I will manhandle you Jedadiah! Whats your problem? Why can't you all just get along?
Jedadiah: We're men, we fight okay? Thats what we do!
Octavius: Its kinda how we pass the time.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Highly unlikely unless a new award is created "Most forgettable family comedy". Although the strong cast should be enough to ensure large box office takings over the festive period.
What the others say
"This energetically charmless 'family' fantasy lies there dead on screen, occasionally twitching at a funny line." Kim Newman - Empire
"Brilliant British comedian Rick Gervais and the very talented Carla Gugino, who appears as Larry's love interest, are utterly wasted; only Rooney's cameo is enough to elicit a smile." Ken Fox – tvguide.com
So is it any good?
In a word, no. It's certainly one for the kids and despite the occasional funny moment, much of the script and narrative is highly unoriginal. Prestigious talent such as Mickey Rooney, Ricky Gervais and Owen Wilson are woefully underused, while Stiller's routine fast becomes tiresome.
There are however brief moments where the film could be considered vaguely watchable. As mentioned Stiller's fight with the miniature monkey is amusing, while there is also a clever visual joke involving a car tyre. But these moments are few and far between.
The massively underdeveloped plot soon becomes repetitive, and the ending is obvious and uninspiring. For adults, this is certainly one to avoid. Children are likely to be entertained and may even learn a little history along the way, and although even that may be clutching at straws, perhaps some good will come of this film being made.
Definitely ask for Jumanji at the video shop when next in the mood for creatures-coming-to-life-based fun.
3/10
Jamie Reid
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