Chapter 54: A Night at the Museum

We just got back from a fun night at the movies, and despite it costing about $30 for the tickets and jumbo popcorn/soda, I'd say it was worth the price of admission. While I don't expect A Night at the Museum to win any major awards, it had me chuckling and occasionally even laughing. The 12 year olds in the theater with us were often guffawing, so that may give you an idea of who the target audience is, but the story was fun for adults too.

The basic idea is that Larry Daly (played by Ben Stiller) is a divorced dad in need of a stable life. While he's always had aspirations of greatness, he rarely has been able to achieve anything of much note. He gets a job as the night watchman at the Museum of Natural History and soon learns that at night, history comes alive -- literally. The hi-jinks are somewhat predicatable but that's ok, this isn't trying to be Schindler's List. And Larry's often bailed out by Teddy Roosevelt (played by Robin Williams).

The problem is, the three former night watchmen, who lost their jobs due to downsizing (and perhaps because they're all around 85 years old) are trying to steal a magic tablet that is the reason all the exhibits come to life at night. It keeps the night watchmen young too. Larry becomes a leader as he gathers all the exhibits together to help him catch the somewhat-bad guys (Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs, and the eternally annoying Mickey Rooney). And in saving the tablet, Larry also saves the museum (and his own job).

There are some serious problems with the film's continuity (e.g., how does the museum director, played by Ricky Gervais, notice the Roman centurion in the stockades but doesn't notice that one of the Neanderthals is missing?), but the premise of the story felt fresh and fun. Enjoy.