NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (two disc Special Edition)

DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 110 minutes, two audio commentaries, multiple featurettes, deleted and extended scenes with audio commentary, blooper reel, trailers, and more.

VIDEO: 1.85:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)

AUDIO: English 5.1 DTS, English 5.1, French 2.0, Spanish 2.0 Dolby Surround

Subtitles: English, Spanish

STUDIO: 20th Century Fox

RELEASE DATE: 4-24-2007

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM is an audience pleasing comedy. It's not for the critics. It starts out with some very good logic before descending into make up some new rules in the last 30 minutes kind of stuff. Larry (Ben Stiller) becomes a night security guard at the Natural History Museum only to find out everything comes to life at night. He first fights against the job before pushing harder to make it work (and listen to the people and animals that come to life at night). The film is a showcase for the comedic talents of various actors whether it is Ben Stiller, Dick Van Dyke, or Robin Williams (as Teddy Roosevelt). It is also a special effects treat.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Two audio commentaries can be found on disc one for the film (one with director Shawn Levy and the other with writers Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon). The writers talk about how they added scenes and started shaping the script to fit the actors.

Disc two has a lion share of extras. 17 minutes of deleted and extended scenes (most thankfully cut and yet still great to see) with director Shawn Levy. I can see all were cut for pacing. The almost six minute blooper reel is full of fluffed lines and animals popping (the horse pooping on set and the monkey doing the deed on Robin Williams' shoulder). Out of the featurettes, I found BUILDING THE MUSEUM to be the most interesting. Other featurettes are BRINGING THE MUSEUM TO LIFE, DIRECTING 101, MONKEY BUSINESS, HISTORICAL THREADS: THE COSTUMES OF NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, and MAKING NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM.

Also included on disc two are COMEDY CENTRAL'S REEL COMEDY: NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, FOX MOVIE CHANNEL PRESENTS: MAKING A SCENE, and FOX MOVIE CHANNEL PRESENTS: LIFE AFTER FILM SCHOOL in addition to a REUNITE WITH REXIE DVD-ROM game and the trailers for the film.

FINAL ANALYSIS: If you love NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, the two disc is the way to go to explore and enjoy this film.