Product Description

Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, Steve CooganDirector: Shawn Levy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6611 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Kids & Family
• Released on: 2007-04-02
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 104 minutes

Synopsis
Ben Stiller plays Larry Daley, a down-on-his-luck divorced father in this family-friendly tale directed by Shawn Levy (JUST MARRIED, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN). Larry has lots of ideas and dreams, but none of them come to fruition. In an attempt to prove his stability to his ex-wife (Kim Raver) and his son, Nicky (Jake Cherry), Larry accepts a job as a night guard at the Museum of Natural History. But the elderly night guards who hire him (played by entertainment legends Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, and Bill Cobbs) fail to mention one crucial detail: when the museum is closed, everything inside comes to life. From Attila the Hun to miniature Roman soldiers, African mammals to Neanderthal men, and Egyptian mummies to dinosaur skeletons, the museum teems with lively activity. Now it’s Larry’s job to control the mayhem and show his son that he is, indeed, a great man after all. There might be a moral to this story, which is based on the book of the same name by Milan Trenc, but the screenplay and action remain light and breezy. Stiller is perfect as Larry, particularly in scenes with a sneaky monkey who repeatedly gets the better of him. Brief appearances by Anne Meara (Stiller’s real-life mother) and Paul Rudd add to the fun. Carla Gugino plays a museum docent, Ricky Gervais portrays the incomprehensible museum director, and Robin Williams moonlights as a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt that comes to life. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan are particularly amusing as a bickering miniature cowboy and a Roman soldier.

Customer Reviews

Night in with a great DVD
I avoided this at the cinema because it had Ben Stiller and Ricky Gervais in it - I'm kicking myself for missing out on seeing it first on the big screen! Still, Blu-ray discs are made for films like these.

Night at the Museum is a film that children will love and - although this is said incorrectly about many films - adults will love it just as much.

There are some big names in the cast and an even bigger special effects budget. Robin Williams tries as always to steal the show, but Ben Stiller proves that he is a far better and likeable actor than I previously thought. You genuinely want him to do well and prove to his young son that he isn't a failure. The time the museum exhibits come to life for the first time is one of the best fantasy sequences I have ever seen. I haven't laughed out loud so much at a comedy film for ages, and can see that in years to come, people are going to look back at this film and regard it as a classic.

Good picture quality and sound, and a refreshing story idea
The picture quality of this blu-ray disc is pretty good. It does suffer from over-saturation in parts, excessive orange filtering and film grain during most of the dark scenes. Having said that, none of these distract you from a fast paced and action packed picture. The computer effects are very well done, they all seamlessly blend into the real footage.

I particularly like the slow crane style shots that are used, it gives you chance to breath in the scene as it unfolds, and is perfect for a large screen TV and a blu-ray player. The picture is 1080p, with a high bit-rate.

The sound is mostly good, with good dialogue locked to the centre channel. The surround speakers are used to good effect without being over-bearing. Scenes such as the dinosaur cruising around, create real drama with a good sub-woofer system thumping away.

The story and idea is unusual, a bit over-American perhaps, since we are not expected to know too much about Lewis and Clark and the American presidents, but you can figure that all out as the movie continues. As you would expect, a love story is woven in, and some dastardly thieving baddies along with supernatural beings, not to mention everything comes to life in the museum....

At night history comes alive
Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) a dreamer, an entrepreneur and an inventor is in-between income opportunities again. This would o.k. except ex-etux (Kim Raver) is under the impression that he is a drifter and a negative influence on their son. Realizing she may be right it is off to serfdom. After a frantic one day search he lands a position as a night guard at the museum. He is handed instructions and told not to let anything in "or out."

Getting to the point takes some time in this movie but it is necessary as we are watching a balance between a serious parent child exchange and an almost, o.k. a slapstick quasi animated movie. It is difficult to rate the movie with any meaning as you have to be predisposed to Ben Stiller type of humor or it will be just down right dumb and dull formula. However for those that are predisposed this is one of his best and mostly improved performances.

The supporting cast and adds greatly to the fun. Who would ever in a million years expect that maniacal smirk on Dick Van Dyke's face? The monkey was in great form and had a good sense of aim. Robin Williams that usually ruins a film with over acting was subdued enough to let his wax character take front stage.

Everyone went out of the way to make sure the actors and one-liners took precedence over the back-drop and sets, however you do not need HD formatted DVD's to appreciate that you never once think they are props. However a 1080p display helps.

For me one of the highlight is finding out the nature of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the scene with his dyno toe on the water fountain.