Night at the Museum

Melissa (my wife) and I just saw "Night at the Museum" and I have to say I had a great time. I haven't had that much fun in a family movie in awhile. I enjoyed every aspect of this film.

The actors were well cast
Ben Stiller was fantastic as the night time guard who learns that "history comes to life" during his shift. Owen Wilson had me cracking up playing the role of a "tiny" cowboy. Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney (yes he's still alive), and Bill Cobbs were a delight playing the retiring night guards. And I can't forget all of the actors who played characters from Attila the Hun to Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams). What a fun cast!

A Great Story
Stiller's character plays a loving but divorced dad who is not stable in his employment. He's tried to "make it big" in life with various "schemes", but always seems to fall flat on his face. His ex-wife is concerned that the instability is bad for their 10 year old son and suggest that he not live with Stiller until he stabilizes. This is what prompts him to find the job he ends up with at the museum.

I don't want to over analyze the film, but I did like the fact that a dad could find "greatness" in providing for his family. Sure Stiller ends up in a quite unusual job, but nonetheless, he ultimately finds pleasure in being a good dad.

The Visual Effects were stunning
This movie wasn't easy to make. From the small but epic Roman legions attacking Stiller's character to the enormous T-Rex that just wanted to play fetch, the digital effects blended seamlessly with the live action.

The Music was well scored
Alan Silvestri (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) once again wrote a magical score to accompany the film. It was a joy listening to his charging action music as well as his enchanting sentimental tracks.

No Bad Content
Amazingly, this movie had no bad language, no sexual innuendos, and no bad messages. The only reason it was rated PG was due to some intense, but fun action sequences that a 4-5 year old "could" get a bit startled by.

All in all, I truly enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it to both adult and child.