I remember Night At The Museum doing good business when it was in the theater, and I was lukewarm about seeing it until the Washington D.C. Smithsonian based sequel came out and piqued my interest.
This might not be a popular view with many people, but I’ll say it anyway: I’m not always such a big fan of Ben Stiller. In fact, I should probably write another article solely on that concept so this one doesn’t get off track.
Because I don’t like to watch sequels before the original, I found an opportunity to see this movie when my DVR guide told me it was going to be on television one night. Two days later I sat in front of the television, and I was pleased with the result.
In the beginning of this film, we understand that Ben Stiller’s character is a bit down on his luck, but instead of placing us in a position to laugh at his misfortune or his struggles to overcome it, he gets put into the position of a guy you want to root for. You HOPE he’s going to be able to do right by his son and stick with this job. Then he goes through trials and tribulations as the museum unexpectedly comes to life at night, but he figures out a way to deal with various aspects of it, and although there are comedic parts where his character is not having a fun time, it’s not to the degree where you just stop and feel sorry for him. He almost becomes a hero in this film – an aspect totally lost in Meet The Parents, Along Came Polly and a couple other of his films where people have paid to laugh at his misfortunes.
As per usual, Robin Williams does a great job in his role, this time as Teddy Roosevelt. Owen Wilson is amusing as a diminutive cowboy from one of the exhibits.
The special effects do the trick in this one, and from seeing some of the featurettes about the film, you really get a sense for the care they took to make it seem believable.
Definitely recommend this film, and I look forward to seeing the sequel (and not just because it promises Amy Adams – one of the best actresses of our generation… and pretty, too).
