Night at the Museum By Helen Cuthbertson, Blockbuster.co.uk

This fast-paced family adventure is a mix of special-effects, an all-star cast and easy humour all rolled into one neat package. A massive box office hit, Night at the Museum has so far proven equally popular on DVD, with action aplenty and a simple enough premise to delight children and adults alike.

Ben Stiller (Zoolander, There’s Something About Mary) plays Larry Daley, a single, unsuccessful man desperate for work in order to keep a roof over his head and prove to his increasingly more disappointed son that he is not a loser. His C.V is so bad that the only job offer forthcoming is the position of night guard at the local history museum, which he grudgingly accepts, unaware of the museum’s remarkable secret.

One night in however and the true nature of the job is revealed: everything in the museum comes to life at night, owing to an ancient Egyptian tablet. It is Larry’s responsibility to make sure that order is maintained and that nothing gets in - or out - of the museum.

The kids are very much in the foreground of Cheaper By The Dozen director Shawn Levy’s mind, as slow-starter this film isn‘t. The action kicks off very quickly and on more than one occasion it is reminiscent of Jumanji and even stars Robin Williams to boot. Parents will also be kept entertained, be it from the impact of its visual effects, some of the slightly risqué humour - “Good Lord, Larry, why are you slapping a monkey?” - or the appearance of so many well-known faces: Ricky Gervais, Steve Coogan, Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke and Owen Wilson are all present and correct.

It’s true that this film offers nothing new when you consider that this type of script and direction have been done many times in the past and probably better too. Still, Audiences on both sides of the Atlantic have enjoyed Night at the Museum for what it is: a fun family fantasy using a tried and tested formula for commercial success, and there is much to make up for its lack of originality There are sufficient laughs, the established cast is reliable in portraying the various wacky and conflicting historical figures, there is enough going on in the plot to keep it moving and it’s all wrapped up nicely in the end.

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