Rami Malek and Ben Stiller in Night At The Museum
When I was in primary school, my favourite book was From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. The book is about two kids who run away from home to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
For about 20 years I forgot the name of the book and did a lot of trying to find it. Eventually I posted a question somewhere on the web and received the name of the book as the answer, so I ordered it and settled in to revisit an old favourite. It was just as great as I remembered it to be.
Growing up my Grandma – Granny as we called her – would take us on the tram to Adelaide. From there we would catch the beeline bus to North Terrace and visit one of two places – the South Australian Museum or the Art Gallery of South Australia. Sometimes we would go down to the River Torrens and catch Popeye around to the Adelaide Zoo. For many years these were my favourite places in the entire world.
Whenever we visited the Museum, I would imagine what I would do if I was able to take up residence there. We spent a lot of time in the room full of rocks and minerals and all the cabinets were locked – maybe if I lived there, I could find the key and open up those cabinets.
Ahkmenrah attempts to broker a peace between Larry and Attila The Hun
So it came to me as a surprise that I somehow had missed out on the awesomeness of the Night at the Museum movies. I discovered them thanks to my present fan obsession – Rami Malek is in the movies as the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah.
The storyline goes a little like this – Larry (Ben Stiller) gets a job as the night guard in the American Museum of Natural History. Unknown to most of the world, the museum contains a magical tablet which makes all the exhibits spring to life at sundown. If they are outside when the sun rises, they will turn to dust, so it is important that the night guard keeps everyone *in* as well as keeping other people out.
Robin Williams plays Teddy Roosevelt
Robin Williams is in all 3 films and the final film was one of four not yet released at the time of his death. While my favourite Robin Williams role will always be John Keating from Dead Poets Society, followed of course by Mrs Doubtfire, this role is in third place, for me anyway. I also loved that he spent a lot of time on a horse.
Part of the fun of the following movies is the new historical characters appearing plus the new locations. Movie 2 has Amy Adams as Amelia Earheart and Hank Azaria is hilarious as the very angry Egyptian raised from the dead. I thought the second was the best of the films – Amy Adams was so fantastic in it.
Movie 3 has Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as a British museum security guard. Plus Hugh Jackman makes an appearance. But beware, this movie you might need to BYO tissue box.
Rami Malek is incredibly believable as the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah. For much of the first movie, he is locked in his sarcophagus desperately trying to get out, and there is a level of fear created around his being able to escape. But when he is eventually released towards the end of the movie, he is just delightful and not scary at all. Sadly he is missing for a lot of the second movie, but in the third he is present for most of the movie.
It should be made clear that I am not usually a Ben Stiller fan but I did enjoy him in these movies. I think the biggest problem for me, with him, is he seems like he is about to burst out laughing the entire time he is on the screen. Kind of like Jerry Seinfeld who just never could keep a poker face.
If you watch the out-takes, he does laugh a lot. But then again how could you not laugh at Ricky Gervais and Robin Williams? And Jerry had to contend with 3 very funny people but worst of all, Julia Louis Dreyfus. There are lots of Seinfeld bloopers on youtube.
If you have not seen these movies and you love a museum and/or historical figures, you will probably deeply love these movies. When people talk about movie magic, I think they are talking about movies exactly like these. :)
Over To You –
Which historical figure would you want to bring back to life and talk to? What would you do if you could live inside a museum or art gallery? What museum would you most like to take the magical tablet to?
Here are the trailers for all 3 Night at the Museum movies.
I’ve never seen the Museum movies but everyone I know who has seen them likes them. I haven’t been to many museums, but I think I’d like to be in a Colonial era museum so I could ask the people what life was like back then and learn how to cook using their recipes and methods. My house was built in 1735 so that’s why I’d pick that kind of mueseum.
We have a pioneer museum not too far from here, I’ve never been but I have heard it is interesting. :)
I do recommend these movies, especially the second one, I really enjoyed them all though. I finished The Pacific last night and while that was a very tough watch, I think it is also a deeply important watch. My Grandfather was in WW2 and I have a whole new respect for it now. :)
I think I need to see these movies; they sound like the type of historical entertainment that I enjoy! (can’t believe I haven’t seen them yet, but I don’t watch many films)
They are brilliantly done.. well worth a watch. :)
I loved Night at the Museum and the second movie too, but had NO IDEA there was a third and fourth movie!! I feel gypped. Why aren’t they shown on TV? Why have I never even heard of them??
There are only 3 – the third is Secrets of the Tomb
I want to talk to historical figures, yes men, who have done bad things and ask them why and hear how they try to justify their actions. Hitler, Pol Pot, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Tony Abbott. No, I should not put the latter three in with the first two.
Hmm.. I think it would be very difficult to be in the same room with Hitler and not attempt to kill him, Hitler is my number one daydream where I go back in time and dead someone from history.
It is a great day for Australia with the removal of the Mad Monk. :)
I haven’t seen the 3rd one yet. I’d love to go back to talk to a few people – Elvis, Maya Angelou and Marie Antoinette for starts.
I would love to meet Elvis, too! ;) Plus maybe Jim Morrison.