It’s true after all.
You remember your childhood fantasy that when the lights go off and the doors are locked at the museum, the stuffed animals, detailed dioramas and monster dinosaurs come to life.
With the help of some impressive CGI, the New York Museum of Natural History does come to amazing life in the new Christmas offering ‘Night at the Museum’ taken from Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc’s kid’s book. And all in service of a story that is pure Hollywood schlock but largely saved by ingratiating performances.
After churning out 5 wildly successful films last year, Ben Stiller has returned to the big screen. With all history coming to chaotic life around him, what the film needs is grounding in humanity and Stiller wisely downplays his usual brand of frenetic comedy. The man is an actor and there is a subtle, heartfelt quality to his work not often seen.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few scenes of vintage Stiller as when he gets into a slapping contest with a recalcitrant capuchin monkey named Dexter.
Stiller is Larry Daley, a loser who can’t seem to get his life going. His marriage has dissolved and he is trying desperately to hold onto his son’s affections. When his latest wacky invention fizzles he reluctantly takes a responsible job as the night guard at the museum.
The new guy is welcomed to the position by three old coots who are being retired. The trio are the smooth octogenarians Dick Van Dyke, and Mickey Rooney and long time character actor Bill Cobbs.
The three geriatric actors seem to be having a rare old time back on the big screen.
As the night falls, Van Dyke warns ominously before leaving, “Don’t let anything in. Or out!”
When the sun sets, the museum comes to life and our hapless hero is on the run. He is chased by the bones of a massive T-Rex, lions prowl, Huns pillage and he is attacked by tiny railroad builders and vast armies of Roman soldiers – with large fiery catapults.
The railroaders are led by a tiny (and unbilled) Owen Wilson doing his Owen Wilson thing.
The two armies mount a battle as they want to conquer each other’s territory – with poor Larry in the middle.
An excellent Robin Williams is Teddy Roosevelt come to life to give Larry advice on how to make something of his life. Mostly by coping with the carnage around him.
The museum is run by a humorless stuffed shirt named Reginald played with dead pan hilarity by The Office’s Ricky Gervais.
Director Shawn Levy (‘The Pink Panther’) fills his screen with action. While Larry is being terrorized, there is inevitably a mastodon or group of Neanderthals just wandering around in the background.
And the geezers return in the night with an agenda of their own.
‘Night at the Museum’ could easily have become a one-joke movie. After the first night – what have you got? Well, writers Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant don’t let their screen-lay stop at that. Larry is persuaded to come back for a second try – this time prepared for the onslaught.
Hilariously, none of his planning works.
The writers make one big mistake in their fantasy. A relationship develops between Larry and a docent named Rebecca (Carla Gugino). She can’t finish a paper she’s writing on Lewis and Clark’s great Shoshone guide Sacagawea (Mizuo Peck).
Larry introduces her to the museum’s now animated wax character and, presumably, the two talk history. But at another point, when Larry needs Roosevelt’s historical expertise, the character observes that he really knows nothing – he’s just a wax figure created by a factory in upstate New York.
You can’t have it both ways guys.
A small detail I suspect and the kids who will make this one of the most popular films of the Christmas season won’t notice.
“Night at the Museum’ is not a flat-out comedy (though Stiller always has something droll happening) but that is not what its producers are after. Besides its spectacularly realized fantasy world, it wants to tell a story of a poor schmuck with good intentions who learns a few life lessons in self-reliance.
Fun and entertaining though it is, ‘Night at the Museum’ will not go on to become a season classic as Tom Hank’s ‘Polar Express.’
No E.T here. But it takes a worthy place beside ‘Jumanji’ and ‘Gremlins’ and even this Christmas’ ‘Charlotte’s Webb’ as a fine fantasy family entertainment.
It will be scary for the little ones.
‘Night at the Museum’ is being released simultaneously in the big screen IMAX process. If you can, that is the way to see it. The digital effects are remarkably detailed and the huge IMAX screen really shows them off.
Opens wide USA December 22 – UK December 26. MPAA: Rated G for mild action, language and brief rude humor.
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