RATED: PG
STUDIO: 20TH CENTURY FOX
RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 22, 2006

was a bit surprised at the adult entertainment value of Night at the Museum.  I expected more of a children’s movie and, to be honest, less plot.  There was more story line and more intrigue than I thought there would be.  I expected a simplistic story of a guy getting a crazy job that was much more than he bargained for.  I expected some dinosaur chasing, a Gulliver’s Travels scene and other similar scenes based on the other museum displays.  I expected simple, straight-forward history lessons.  This movie delivers much more than that. Without giving anything away you find out very quickly that Larry is more than just a guy looking for a job.  You also find out that there is more to history than just the names and dates and even more than just the dioramas.

There are a number of lessons you can take from this movie.  Lessons about dreaming and being great while at the same time being responsible.  Lessons about respect for yourself and for others.  Lessons on how one ought to treat others and on how teamwork benefits everyone.  Lessons on telling the truth and being honest.  Depending upon your particular family values there are some things you’ll have to discuss with your children.  But there is nothing inherently immoral in this movie that goes unchallenged.  There is some minor violence (face slapping), some stealing, a lot of quarreling and fighting.  But in the end everyone is getting along and almost everyone has worked their differences out.  My personal favorite part is the very end … seeing a moose dance next to Ahkmenrah is well worth waiting for.

Ben Stiller (Larry) does an excellent job, as does the rest of the cast.  There were multiple facets clearly shown by almost every character.  Except the Neanderthals, but then they wouldn’t likely have multiple facets would they?  The shooting and special effects are truly top notch.  The plot is solidly told and moves along pretty quickly.   It truly did make history come alive.  In fact, it made me want to brush up on my history, and I’m not a history buff in any sense of the phrase.  Robin Williams makes you want to read up on Teddy Roosevelt. The jackals and Ahkmenrah make you want to look into Egyptian history.  The T-rex even makes you want to check out dinosaurs a little more closely, apparently they’re not all straight out of Jurassic Park.   There is one part that I believe was neglected.  The bad guys. Although they get caught, there is no mention whatsoever of them getting in trouble or being brought to justice, they simply are caught and then disappear.  I would have liked to see just about anything tying up their bit of the story.  Aside from that, the movie as a whole is very well done and recommended.

–Kristine Webster