Night at the Museum

MPAA Rating: PG for mild action, language and brief rude humor
Released in Theaters: Dec. 22, 2006

What’s so hard about being a night watchman at a museum? Plenty — especially when the statues come to life every night! That’s the premise of this movie directed by Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther, Cheaper by the Dozen).

Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is a likeable guy, always optimistic about his prospects, mundane as they may be. But when he accepts a position as a night-shift security guard at the infamous Museum of Natural History in New York, Larry gets more excitement than he bargained for.

One night he accidentally unleashes an ancient curse that brings all of the museum displays to life! Suddenly he’s got Roman Gladiators waging epic battles, a Neanderthal burning down his display, Attila the Hun pillaging neighboring exhibits, and a T-Rex terrorizing the museum.

Larry’s elderly night watchmen co-workers aren’t much help. They’ve dreamed up an evil plot to use the museum’s awesome power to their own benefit.

Amidst the chaos, the only person Larry can turn to for help is a wax figure of President Teddy Roosevelt. Will they be able to harness the bedlam, foil the oldsters’ evil plot, and keep the creatures from terrorizing innocent people? You’ll have to see the movie to find out!

Based on a children’s book by Milan Trenc, this family-fun fare boasts an impressive cast including Carla Gugino, Ricky Gervais, Kim Raver, and Owen Wilson as a tiny cowboy who, of course, comes to life. What would a Ben Stiller movie be without Owen Wilson? Let’s hope we never have to find out!