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I should have known
that a film like "Night at the Museum" was on its way;
within the last decade alone, we've had movies in which toys, cars,
houses, paintings, and dolls came to life, some of which were appropriate
for the whole family. The idea behind this film is certainly a clever
one, and to some extent, it was handled properly within the context
of the story (based on the book by Milan Trenc). Just imagine it:
the exhibits in New York's Natural History Museum come to life every
night because of an ancient Egyptian curse. The rule is that no
one can be let in or out; if any of the exhibits escape, they'll
turn to dust by dawn. This is something the new night guard, Larry
Daley (Ben Stiller) learns the hard way, with that bit of information
conveniently left out during the job interview. There was an effectively
tense moment in which he passes the skeletal T-Rex display, only
to realize that the T-Rex itself has mysteriously disappeared. When
he turns a corner and switches on his flashlight, he sees the skeleton
drinking from a water fountain.
It was moments like these that signaled potential. If only the film were actually funny, like the ads make it seem. Maybe the fact that I never once laughed was attributed to this being a family oriented film. Maybe it's because I don't particularly see the humor in a monkey urinating on Ben Stiller. Or maybe it's because the film was filled with a slew of implausible circumstances (and no, I'm not referring to the supernatural components; it's a given that some suspension of disbelief is required for this film). But whatever the reason, "Night at the Museum" came off as something that was trying too hard to be entertaining, failing to realize that it was only shooting itself in the foot. Sad, really: it includes Robin Williams as a statue of Theodore Roosevelt, making for some pleasing scenes. I think I was most disappointed by the fact that this story was
crafted to be completely humorous. There are many things in a
museum that would be terrifying if they were to actually come
to life; the moment with the T-Rex skeleton was ruined as soon
as it dropped one of its bones at Daley's feet, wanting to play
fetch. There's also a scene in which Daley has to lock up the
Africa exhibit so as to not be eaten by the lions. If this idea
were followed through to the end, it would have made for some
good conflict (or at the very least, we'd get to see some cool
chase scenes). And then there are the miniature displays of the
Roman Empire and the American Old West, each with lead characters--played
by Steven Coogan and Owen Wilson--that do nothing but take up
precious screen time by constantly picking fights. |
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I think the characters
I liked the least were Cecil (Dick Van Dyke), Reginald (Bill Cobbs),
and Gus (Mickey Rooney), the three aging night guards Daley is set
to replace. Not only do they add little to the scenes that establish
plot, they also make an unexpected and unnecessary (not to mention
nonsensical) transition near the end of the film. Cecil seems friendly,
but continuously evades Daley with vague explanations. Gus is the
hothead of the group, and he's never too busy to belittle Daley
with names like Hot Dog, Wisecracker, and Weirdy. Reginald is barely
developed, serving mostly as a way to complete a trio. Did these
characters really need to be included? Did the filmmakers think
that portraying old men as caricatures would actually be funny?
I suppose younger children will get a kick out of them ... which
is disturbing when you think about it.
And then there's the human drama, all of which make decent but ultimately unsatisfying attempts at adding depth to the story. It's stated early on that Daley is a good hearted but aimless dreamer, focusing most of his attention on get-rich-quick schemes. It's driving a wedge between his ex-wife, Erica (Kim Raver) and his son, Nick (Jake Cherry). I wish this aspect of the story had been developed a bit more; we're told about Daley's business attempts--such as the Snapper (precursor to the much more successful Clapper)--but we don't actually see this. All we see is a man who needs to get a job because he has bills to pay. Nick was a flat, monotone character, which was problematic because he delivers one of the film's best lines. "What if you're just a guy who needs to get a job?" he asks of his father, who honestly believes that something good will come his way. There are also some interactions with Rebecca (Carla Gugino), one of the museum's docents. She's supposedly been writing a nine-hundred-page dissertation on Sacajawea, the one historical figure she's admired for a long time. This is the perfect opportunity for Daley, who has frequently seen the museum's Sacajawea figure (Mizuo Peck) move about behind the display glass; he can hook her up with Rebecca, who has many historical questions to ask. I can't even begin to describe how ridiculous this idea is. At one point, the Teddy Roosevelt statue (who, incidentally, has a crush on Sacajawea) admits that he's not the real former President of the United States; he's merely a wax representation. I think it's safe to assume that Sacajawea is made of the same material. How on earth could she know about the accomplishments of the real--and long since dead--historical figure? There are many, many other characters inhabiting the museum, including: a mischievous monkey who constantly steals Daley's keys; a group of Neanderthals who develop a taste for fire extinguisher foam; the raging Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher) and his posse; a gum-loving Easter Island head (voiced by Brad Garrett); and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek), the Egyptian pharaoh whose magical golden tablet is responsible for this nightly madness. With such a large and eclectic gathering, you'd think that "Night at the Museum" would have been a fun, fascinating experience. While I appreciated the underlying idea, it still didn't seem as if enough went into it, and what little there was went astray early on. I guess it's better for museum exhibits to remain inanimate. - Chris Pandolfi
Click
HERE to read the review of Night at the Museum: Battle of the
Smithsonian |
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