Amazon.com: Night at the Museum: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Jake Cherry: Amazon Instant Video

Night at the Museum

Larry Daley, a new security guard at The Museum of Natural History, soon discovers that when the lights go out, the gallery becomes an epic battleground fueled with non-stop action and adventure!

Starring: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
Release year: 2006
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Play trailer

Synopsis: Larry Daley, a new security guard at The Museum of Natural History, soon discovers that when the lights go out, the gallery becomes an epic battleground fueled with non-stop action and adventure!

Starring: Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke

Supporting actors: Mickey Rooney, Jake Cherry, Bill Cobbs, Ricky Gervais, Carla Gugino, Mizuo Peck, Robin Williams, Kim Raver, Patrick Gallagher, Rami Malek, Pierfrancesco Favino, Charles Q. Murphy, Steve Coogan, Kerry van der Griend, Dan Rizzuto, Matthew Harrison, Jody Racicot, Paul Rudd, Anne Meara, Martin Christopher

Directed by: Shawn Levy

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

Release year: 2006

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: Rated PG for mild action, language and brief rude humor (Approved No. 42837)

ASIN: B000R56RD2 (Rental) and B000PSGRSQ (Purchase)

Rights & Requirements

Rental rights: 48 hour viewing period Details

Purchase rights: Stream instantly and download to 2 locations. Details

Compatible with: Mac and Windows PC online viewing, compatible instant streaming devices, TiVo DVRs. System requirements

Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 127 people found the following review helpful

This Dude Had a Fun Time December 30, 2006

By Monkdude

Amazon Verified Purchase

I thought this movie would mostly be for kids, but I think I laughed as much if not more than the younger folks around me. The CGI is good, the plot is neat, and Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Robin Williams deliver the goods. It was also a treat to see Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney in action again. Not to mention that Carla Gugino is a feast for the eyes. It's nice to watch a good film for the whole family once every so often. It makes you feel like a kid again, without a care in the world.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

90 of 104 people found the following review helpful

Take your family to the Museum December 22, 2006

By Kevin J. Loria VINE™ VOICE

This solid family movie from director Shawn Levy (the new PINK PANTHER, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2) comes from a solid book like Jumanji, and Zathura, the 1993 kid's mystery-comedy of the same name.Like the original story, Larry (or was it Hector originally) becomes a night guard at New York's Museum of Natural History,in order to "grow up" in the eyes of his ex-wife and his son. He expects to have an easy time. But on his first night, he dozes off, then wakes up to a missing dinosaur skeleton.Soon his learns that history really comes alive at this museum and he's got his hands full keeping it in line.

Ben Stiller, as Larry, panics his way from exhibit to exhibit,as only he knows how. Briefly intiated by the original nightwatchmen, played by comedy, TV and film legends Dick Van Dyke,Bill Cobbs and Mickey Rooney.

The retiring watchmen are worth the price of admission (watch the closing credits as they reveal the ultimate fate of the three characters and Mr. Van Dyke shows that he can still chimney-sweep with the best of them.

Owen Wilson yet again teams-up with Stiller for a small part literally, he's a miniature from an historical diorama (see Starsky & Hutch, The Royal Tenenbaums, Meet the parents, Permanent Midnight, Zoolander for more super Stiller/Wilson team-ups). Actually the role is more than a cameo and is worthy of the story. The two play off each other superbly, like a modern-day Bing & Hope, only funny (I Kid, I Kid).

Another standout casting is Robin Williams lending Larry a hand as an animated-wax Teddy Roosevelt. Williams is able to savory his moments of insanity as a relatively static historical mentor while enfusing others with moving realism and soulfulness (seriously).

Loads of great visuals, especially at the IMAX engagements, like the animated dog-like T-Rex, Mammoths, stampedes and more. Definitely in the spirit of Jumanji, only with much more heart.

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

I Think that T-Rex Skeleton Wants to Play Fetch? --- and other hilarious reasons to watch this film... April 20, 2007

By C. Crockett

Format:DVD

A movie where history literally comes alive? No way! But, somehow, this kooky idea works in an endearing and surrealistic way.

Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, an underachiever with a penchant for bouncing from job to job as he is constantly evicted from one apartment after another. Having had a divorce, Larry shares custody of his son with his ex-wife and her new husband. After finally being fed up with feeling inadequate in the eyes of his son, Larry takes a job as a night watchman at the Museum of Natural History in hopes that the semblance of stability will help earn back his ex-wife's and his son's respect. However, things are not always how they appear, as Larry soon discovers that at night, the museum comes to life...

The film has a bit of a slow start as the plot lays the ground work for Larry's desperate acceptance of the night watchman's position. I was left feeling anxious for the hilarity to ensue when the museum finally awakens from it's slumber. Fortunately, once the storyline finally gets to that point, the wacky hijinks commence, one right after the other, causing the film to become far more satisfying. If you overlook the fact that this is a Ben Stiller vehicle (as in, a comedic role that has a fairly cookie-cutter resemblence to most of Ben Stiller's previous roles) the movie turns out to be a wild ride of incredible special effects, and hilarious moments in the interaction between Larry and the newly life-like museum displays.

Robin Williams does an amazing job as a wax figure of Teddy Roosevelt, who becomes a sort of guide and mentor to Stiller's character of Larry as Larry struggles to come to terms with the unbelievable things he is witnessing. Owen Wilson also has a small supporting role as a teeny tiny cowboy from one of the displays in the diorama room, who is hell-bent on busting out of his display and doing battle against the Roman General, Octavius (equally tiny) who resides in the display next to his. Wilson's character is also fairly typical of his usual roles, but that doesn't make it any less funny. Actually (if you're looking for a little trivia) Wilson and Stiller only came face-to-face during filming once, for only a few minutes. All of Wilson's scenes were filmed in one day (in front of a green screen so that his character can be shrunk down to size and re-inserted into the film). The production crew placed a toothpick on the various sets so that Stiller had a focal point for where he was supposed to look when delivering his dialogue during the scenes that would eventually include Wilson's shrunken cowboy.

This whole movie is one giant leap into the magical realm of suspended reality that Hollywood is so good at creating. Can museums really come to life? No --- but man, it be cool if they did. Keep your eye out for my favorite (and in my opinion, the funniest) scene from the film in which Larry finally confronts Attila the Hun, who makes a habit of chasing him down and attempting to dismember him each night. Larry squares off against Attila and his barbaric horde, and proves he's in control by bringing Attila to tears. You have to see it to truly appreciate the humor. I also enjoyed the keys stealing monkey, Dexter, and his crazy penchant for causing Larry a lot of trouble. As far as special features go, this particular disc only has 2 audio commentaries available. If you're wanting more than that in the special features department, you're probably better off purchasing the 2-disc special edition.

Bottom line -- it gets off to a slow start, but eventually picks up and dazzles the audience with it's style, humor, and the general laugh-worthy age old question of "Can't we all just get along"?

Comment |

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Customer Discussions

Discussion

Replies

Online Viewing	PC Download	TiVo box	Portable device
View instantly from any PC or Mac with a broadband connection	Ready to watch in about 45 minutes*	Ready to watch in about 50 minutes*	Ready to transfer in about 45 minutes*

Night at the Museum

Night at the Museum

48 hour rental

Buy movie

Learn more about renting and buying

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Online Viewing

PC Download

TiVo box

Portable device

Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed

Customer Reviews

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

Customer Discussions

Start a new discussion

	Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition)
	Price: $9.48 - Includes the Amazon Instant Video 48 hour rental as a gift with purchase. Available to US Customers Only.

	> See additional offers