On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 13/159 |
David Mumpower |
Inspired comedy provides the type of wholesome, satisfying entertainment that 2006 cinema sorely lacked otherwise. It's the proverbial 'fun for all ages' title of the year. |
| 14/65 |
Kim Hollis |
I don't care what the critics say. This movie was a blast. |
| 38/200 |
Max Braden |
Light fun, but not was good as what Spielberg might have done with it. |
Imagine Jurassic Park...but funny!
This is the simple premise for Night at the Museum, Ben Stiller's latest slapstick comedy. The reigning king of comedy (thanks to Meet the Fockers, the #1 comedy of all-time) returns in a role that seems straight out of the Don Knotts playbook. Stiller portrays a bungling security guard at the Museum of Natural History. As one might expect in a Stiller film, he somehow accidentally triggers an ancient curse. Yeah, that'll happen. The by-product of this reckless action is that all of the various skeletons throughout the building come to life. The walking dead are not reserved to animals, either. Christopher Columbus, Sacagawea, Attila the Hun and any number of neanderthals also return from the great beyond in order to torment Stiller (they must have seen Along Came Polly). Can Stiller somehow overcome the curse and stop undead dinosaurs from ruining a perfectly good evening? Probably not...but it should be funny in the Ghost and Mr. Chicken vein.
Night at the Museum is a frontline release for Fox and unquestionably one of the biggest releases on the holiday schedule. The project was originally scheduled to have Mummy aficionado Stephen Sommers as director, but he dropped out in order to deliver When Worlds Collide for Paramount. Cheaper by the Dozen/The Pink Panther director Shawn Levy was quickly brought on board as his replacement. Screenwriter and The State veteran Ben Garant, whose last two projects were The Pacifier and Herbie: Fully Loaded, shares a writing credit with Daniel Goldin of Darkman fame. The cast is like a who's who of comedy. Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Ricky Gervais, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Paul Rudd and Carla Gugino have all signed on for what is certain to be a blockbuster. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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