Night at the Museum

This pastiche comedy, about Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) a rudderless father who takes on a night watchman job at Manhattan’s Museum of Natural History only to discover that the exhibits come to life at night, is a piecemeal procedure in Hollywood excess. Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams) imparts nuggets of wisdom to Larry about how he should handle the rampaging prehistoric animals and warring armies that demolish the museum every night, but when Teddy reveals that he is just a wax copy of Roosevelt it negates the narrative momentum of the set-up. Why should we care if Larry’s new love interest Rebecca (Carla Gugino) can finally finish her thesis on Sacajewea by interviewing the American Indian since she isn’t even the real McCoy?

Rated PG. 110 mins. (C-) (Two Stars)