Night at the Museum [PG]

On his first night as the new night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, Larry discovers that he’s dealing with the most ridiculous job in history. Thanks to an ancient Egyptian tablet, everything in the museum comes to life as soon as the sun sets, and it’s Larry’s job to gain control over the chaos and make sure that nothing gets in…or out. 

I went to the cinemas with my parents and brother to see this film and all of us came out of the cinema saying “it’s a keeper!” Night at the Museum is an original story filled with comedy, action, and memorable characters. It’s the perfect family film! 

In danger of losing his continuous visits with his son, Larry must find a steady job that can pay his bills and keep some stability in his life. So he takes a job as the night watchman at the Museum of Natural History. However, his first night on the job, Larry realises that there is more on his plate than he bargained for. Thanks to an ancient Egyptian tablet, everything in the museum comes to life as soon as the sun sets and soon, Larry finds himself dealing with the most ridiculous job in history as he tries to gain control over the chaos and not let anything in… or out. 

I think what really makes this film memorable is the bizarre mix of characters that clash delightfully with one another. There’s a gigantic T-Rex skeleton that behaves like a puppy. Atilla the Hun is aggressive on the outside but just wants a little love. The miniature cowboys and Romans refuse to be in the same room as one another. Teddy Roosevelt spends his time loving a woman he’s never talked to. And Dexter the monkey causes great mischief that almost brings Larry to breaking point. It’s a wonderfully bizarre and delightful mix that brings a whole new light to history. Ben Stiller stars as Larry and he was great. Admittedly, I find that Ben Stiller is pretty much the same sort of character in everything he does (aside from Zoolander), but he does the part so well. He gave a performance that was freaked, trying, and wonderfully funny, and to see him conversing with all these strange and eccentric characters was really amusing. 

Starring Robin Williams, Jake Cherry, Paul Rudd, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, and Ricky Gervais, Night at the Museum is a wonderful family movie filled with action, comedy, hysterical performances, and memorable characters. No matter how many times I watch it, I can never grow tired of it. 

You know how they say in certain museums history comes alive? In this museum… it actually does.