Night
at the Museum
***Adults
****Kids
You know Christmas is coming when the fun kiddies movies start to flood
the advertising slots on our television sets. Night at the Museum
is just one of the many trying to catch our attention. Getting kid’s
to watch a film isn’t all that difficult, wave a dinosaur and
some slapstick at them and they are sold. Getting adults to want to
watch is a much more difficult task.
Night at the Museum revolves around Larry Daley (Ben Stiller)
taking a job as the night guard at the Museum of Natural History. Of
course the job is far more complicated than just guarding an empty museum
at night. Everything inside the museum comes to life between sunset
and sundown. This is exactly the type of high concept that drives forward
many b-movie style comedies and horror films. Night at the Museum in
different hands could well have been a horror film (in fact there is
little difference between the concept for Night at the Museum
and last years House of Wax). Perfect for kids.
Part of appealing to adults can be dealt with in the casting. This is
one of Night at the Museum’s strongest suits. Ben Stiller
is as dependable and versatile as the lead role needs to be. However
the supporting cast holds an element of something for everyone.
In Ricky Gervais and Steve Coogan there is something for fans of British
comedy. With Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd the ‘frat pack’ connection
is kept alive. Then we have Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt for
the fans of 80s comedy and comedians wowing audiences when they do straight
roles. And finally Dick Van Dyke for fans of Diagnosis Murder.
The cast is strong and they do well with the material they have. Wilson,
Williams and Coogan have the most screen time and the relationship between
Wilson’s cowboy Jedediah and Coogan’s Napoleon is one of
the most humorous of the film. Of the supporting players Ricky Gervais’
museum manager is consistently funny. Cursed with the inability to finish
sentences and tie his conversations in knots, it is a subtle performance
amongst a film filled with larger than life ideas.
As an adult I found the film forgettable but fun. There are large holes
in the plot and some of the solutions to problems appear from nowhere.
The relationships between the various characters help to keep you interested,
even if they are coated with saccharine. But it is a kid’s film.
The screening I went to was filled with noisy children at the start.
By the end you could hear a pin drop. Anything that could hold the attention
of the five year old sat next to me must be good.
by Peter
Prickett
Ben Stiller
Interview
Night
at the Museum
Trailers etc.
