Rated PG for mild action, language and brief rude humor.
Directed by Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen and Big Fat Liar)
Starring Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Owen Wilson and Robin Williams
Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, a divorced dad who lives on that path paved with good intention and a few misguided career choices. My favorite was his invention of the “Snapper”, a simple device to turn on and off our lights. Unfortunately for him some people have difficulty actually snapping their fingers and of course there is the whole “Clapper” thing.
In order to keep his son, his apartment and his self-respect, Larry needs to get a normal job. So he takes a position as a night watchman at the New York City Natural History Museum. The three older and outgoing guards — Cecil (Dick Van Dyke), Gus (Mickey Rooney) and Reginald (Bill Cobbs) — give Larry a quick tour and give him an instruction manual that appears to be as weathered as they are. They tell him to do everything on the list in order, but fail to tell him that everything in the museum comes alive once the sun goes down, including a T-rex, Lewis, Clark and Sacajawea, the love interest of the former president Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams). And then there is the minature Roman army lead by Octavius (Steve Coogan) who engages in a constant battle with the Wild West lead by Jedediah (Owen Wilson).
The next hour is filled with typical Ben Stiller-ish humor as he tries to solve problems but ends up just making it worse until he discovers a mysterious, golden Egyptian tablet, the secret it possesses and a sinister plot to steal it.
Personally I think Ben Stiller is hilarious. That being said, I loved Night at the Museum. I thought it had more than its share of laugh-out-loud scenes and some very practical “family time” themed moments.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
This really is a fun family movie. The T-Rex and Attila the Hun come off a little scary at first but you quickly realize they are not the bad guys.
I think older kids who liked Dodgeball and Wedding Crashers will like this one too. It’s as funny and a whole lot cleaner.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
