Ben Stiller plays the character Larry Daley that isn't really going anywhere in life, flitting from one job to another. But his son is losing faith in him, and this inspires Larry to go and get a proper job. He manages to land a job as Night Guard at the Museum of Natural History, and is taught the ropes by the 3 older men he is replacing. But Larry is shocked when on his first shift, the museum comes to life at night - from the soldiers to the T-Rex's to the face statue from Easter Island! Larry is told this is a curse coming from an Ancient Egyptian tablet in the museum.
But things go wrong when the three elderly guards try to steal the tablet, thus ending the magic of the museum. Can Larry stop the men ruining the best job he's ever had?
You can see from the plot that the film is going to be aimed primarily at children, due to the animation and the idea of a museum coming to life at night. But even though this film is aimed at that sort of age bracket, I really do feel it is a film which can be enjoyed by all ages to be honest. The humour is great, the acting is great, but along the way there are a few learning points, teaching you various parts of history subtlety but in an interesting way. I also very much liked seeing the film-makers sitting Larry down and researching all about the various history characters in the museum to learn more about them, hopefully enforcing the message to children that learning is fun and cool!
Ben Stiller is a great comedian in my opinion, and he is no exception in this film either! My favourites of his have got to be of the "Meet the Parents" franchise but this is definitely close to that! His bumbling comedy act is great in this, with his facial expression makes a funny gag even more so! His acting with the computer generated animals, in particular the T-Rex is fantastic and so believable, and his whole demeanour is perfect for this film. He's believable when he's interacting with the historical characters and pulls off the unbelievable plot fantastically. I wasn't okee on the on-screen relationship with his son, it felt awkward and a bit forced but since this wasn't given too much screen time, it didn't hamper my enjoyability.
As well as Stiller, the film boasts a great supporting cast as well. Owen Wilson is typically hilarious as soldier Jedediah, with his comedy style of acting suiting Stiller's perfectly. Steve Coogan stars as Octavius, enemy of Jedediah, and both Coogan and Wilson do a great job at this slapstick rivalry. Robin Williams is as brilliant
as ever as Teddy Roosevelt, playing the role with a great balance of humour and seriousness. Kim Raver stars as Larry's ex-wife Erica, she's nothing special but pleasant enough. Paul Rudd is her current boyfriend, a stockbroker who Larry's son Nick admires greatly. Ricky Gervais pops up here and there as Museum Director Dr McPhee, pulling off a funny role but not his best performance.
And finally Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs steal the show in their scenes as the three elderley security guards intent on robbing museum. Van Dyke in particular is fantastic and is fab with Stiller on screen.
I can't finish a review of this film without commenting on how they have managed to bring to life all the historical characters and how well it has been done. Many of the historical characters are played by humans, such as Roosevelt, the Huns, Sacajawea, and the Romans etc, but there were also some CGI characters such as the T-Rex which was amazingly done. They have really captured the essence of these characters, from the costumes through to the way the actors carry themselves to portray them. The setting of the Natural History Museum works perfectly, giving a maze-like environment for the characters and Larry to run around in, and having that mystical feel that only museums can have at night. The makers have done a great job in making an unbelievable plot believable and a joy to watch.
I really did enjoy this film, and it gave me a good few laughs when I sat watching it. Stiller is perfect in the lead role of the film, pulling off bumbling Larry with comic timing and precision, allowing you to really like his character. The rest of the cast, in particular Williams, Wilson and Coogan are fantastic on screen and fully embrace their characters. The setting and rest of the historical characters are amazing, and the fact that the film teaches you something as well is even better. It's a great movie, and the sequel is already out (Night at the museum 2)!
Written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon, Directed by Shawn Levy.
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