I Spent the Night at the Museum
In Night at the Museum Ben Stiller plays a divorced dad who attempts to gain more stability by taking a full time job as the night watchman at the Natural History Museum, but he’s in for more than he bargained for when he finds that the museum’s exhibits come alive after dark. This was one of those family movies we took our daughter to, and based on the trailer alone my expectations were low. But the end result is a delightful romp through exhibits ranging from the old west and ancient Rome with absurdly entertaining fire-seeking neanderthals, ravaging Huns, a T-Rex skeleton that’s more Labrador Retriever than terrible lizard, and an ex-president (Robin Williams is spot-on as Teddy Roosevelt) who happens to have a crush on a wax statue of Sacajawea. The film is funny, fast-paced and mildly tender, as Stiller’s character brings his son to the museum and proves that as a father he is made of tougher stuff than anyone thought. And seeing Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke on the big screen ...