Susan Granger’s review of “Night at the Museum” (20th Century-Fox)
Set in Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History, this adventure/comedy centers on the spooky mischief and mayhem discovered by a bumbling new security guard.
When out-of-work divorced dad Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) worries that his son will reject him for a new Wall Street stepfather (Paul Rudd), the lad (Jake Cherry) sensibly suggests that he get a regular job instead of dreaming about doing something big. But on his very first night covering the graveyard shift, relics from the past, miraculously, come to life – thanks to an Egyptian tablet.
The skeletal Tyrannosaurus Rex wants to play as growling Neanderthals quest for fire. Mayans, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun leap into battle, but the bickering miniature cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and tiny Roman general Octavius (Steve Coogan) provide the most fun.
Chaos reigns until the wax figure of President Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), yearning for beautiful Native American guide Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck) who is trapped behind glass with explorers Lewis and Clark, helps Larry, who’s been abused by a capuchin monkey, gain some control – much to the chagrin of the treacherous trio of retiring security guards (codgers Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney and Bill Cobbs).
Inspired by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc’s whimsical children’s book, writers Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant (“Taxi,” “The Pacifier”) attempt to revive the “Jumanji” (1995) concept in which an animal board game came to life. Director Shawn Levy (“Pink Panther,” “Cheaper By the Dozen” remakes) concentrates on CGI mayhem – with Ricky Gervais, Carla Gugino, Kim Raver, Brad Garrett, Anne Meara (Stiller’s real-life mom) and Charlie Murphy (Eddie’s real-life brother). On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Night at the Museum” is a silly, shamelessly derivative, slapstick 5, but at least it’s family-friendly hyperactivity.
