Night at the Museum

I wanted to hate NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. I really did. I'm tired of Ben Stiller. I'm tired of Robin Williams. I'm tired of Owen Wilson.

I'm in the process of teaching my spawn theater etiquette, however, and matinees of kids' shows provide a forgiving environment. NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM hooked both of us, much to my surprise, and we had a good time in the theater.

Here's the hook: Ben Stiller's a divorced dad trying to set a good example for his son. He takes a job as the night guard at New York's Museum of Natural History and, as guards Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney (!) already know, the place literally comes alive at night. Personal growth, and the earning of respect in the little tyke's eyes, follow as surely as landings follow takeoffs.

The thing that makes NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM worthwhile isn't the by-the-numbers plot or even the CGI workmanship, however. Stiller carries this movie, bringing a charisma to the project that I thought he'd lost sometime after MYSTERY MEN. He sells the idea of running from a reanimated dinosaur skeleton and brokering peace between the Western and Roman dioramas. He makes the tired routine of winning his child's respect breathe, and he made me interested in his work again.

Then there's another thing: the chance to see Van Dyke and Rooney is a major theatrical relase. In a sense, I felt like I was bringing my child to the museum: "Hey, that's the guy from MARY POPPINS! That other guard is from -well, I'll have to rent something for you. But he's been around nearly as long as talkies!" What a pleasant surprise.

I honestly thought NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM would be an exercise in tedium, useful only for giving my boy a place to practice whispering and not kicking the seat in front of him. Who knew it would come alive, and prove to be such a fun place to hang out?