An irresistible concept meets computer-generated wonders in Night at the Museum, inspired by a 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc. Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, an underachieving inventor waiting for his ship to come in while getting evicted from one apartment after another for lack of funds. Larry's son needs some stability, so the well-meaning ne'er-do-well takes a job as night watchman at New York City's Museum of Natural History. What the soon-to-retire guards (Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs) don't tell him is that an ancient pharaoh's tablet in the museum causes everything on display to come to life at night. Thus, Larry meets representations of Teddy Roosevelt, Attila the Hun, fire-worshipping cavemen, and Roman Empire soldiers, and learns to cope with an excitable T-Rex and man-eating, ancient animals. The film might have left things at that, but an added story element gives Night at the Museum some extra urgency and excitement, especially fo! r kids: Larry becomes responsible for keeping this nightly miracle going and preventing anything in the museum from dying due to exposure to sunrise. Computer effects, as well as wildly imaginative costumes and makeup, help make the film appeal to the 8-year-old in everyone. Director Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther) works with a hugely talented cast, including Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Carla Gugino, and Steve Coogan. --Tom Keogh

Night at the MuseumExtras

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An irresistible concept meets computer-generated wonders in Night at the Museum, inspired by a 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc. Ben Stiller stars as Larry Daley, an underachieving inventor waiting for his ship to come in while getting evicted from one apartment after another for lack of funds. Larry's son needs some stability, so the well-meaning ne'er-do-well takes a job as night watchman at New York City's Museum of Natural History. What the soon-to-retire guards (Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs) don't tell him is that an ancient pharaoh's tablet in the museum causes everything on display to come to life at night. Thus, Larry meets representations of Teddy Roosevelt, Attila the Hun, fire-worshipping cavemen, and Roman Empire soldiers, and learns to cope with an excitable T-Rex and man-eating, ancient animals. The film might have left things at that, but an added story element gives Night at the Museum some extra urgency and excitement, especially for kids: Larry becomes responsible for keeping this nightly miracle going and preventing anything in the museum from dying due to exposure to sunrise. Computer effects, as well as wildly imaginative costumes and makeup, help make the film appeal to the 8-year-old in everyone. Director Shawn Levy (The Pink Panther) works with a hugely talented cast, including Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Carla Gugino, and Steve Coogan. --Tom Keogh

Night at the MuseumExtras

Ben Stiller on Director Shawn Levy

Ricky Gervais on the size of his trailer and eating cheese.

BeyondNight at the Museum

See What DVDs Meant Special Effects to Amazon DVD Editors As Kids

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The Night at the MuseumPaperback Book

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What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good:Detailed robot moves, makes authentic movie sounds, and holds your beverage The Bad:R2-D2 occasionally has trouble deciphering voice commands In a Nutshell:Star Wars collectors are sure to enjoy this cool, interactive droid At a Glance Ages:8 and up Requires:4 "AA" batteries and 4 "D" batteries

The realistic details of R2-D2 will please collectors young and old. View larger.

Bring Home Your Own Astromech Droid
Celebrate Star Wars 30th Anniversary by inviting this movie-accurate droid into your life. Once the loyal companion to Queen Amdala, this utility droid is programmed to be your devoted helper and friend. Help him get ready to serve you by snapping his steering legs into place and attaching the projector piece to his domed top. You'll need to use a Phillips screwdriver to insert four "AA" batteries and four "D" cell batteries in his side.

More than 15-inches tall, this sophisticated R2-D2 model boasts a secret cargo compartment, a unique swing-down utility arm that's also a beverage holder, a removable sensor scope, a working light beam, sound-processing microphones, and an adaptable droid mood-status indicator. Sonar navigational technology and infrared location sensors help make him one the most advanced droids around.

Take Advantage of Three Interactive Modes
Intergalactic missions will be more fun with a reliable droid at your side. In companion mode, R2-D2 responds to commands like "Go on patrol," "Light Beam," and "Play Message." Star Wars fans are sure to appreciate the accuracy of the messages, which are culled from famous missions he remembers.

You can even ask R2 about friends including Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, Darth Vader, and Jabba the Hutt. He has a different reaction to each name based on his "feelings" for the characters. And if you hit R2 on the head, he'll make irritated beeping sounds and try to move away from you. As you get to know your droid, you'll realize that the noises and motions he makes correspond to his "mood."

In game mode, R2 responds to more complicated commands. He'll act as a sentry to protect your important stuff, dance to cantina music, spin around, or play light tag. The third mode is the most complex. This command mode lets you give pointed directions that control R2's movements. Tell him to turn left and right or go forward whenever you want, or set a preprogrammed course for him to follow.

While R2 responded to simple commands with no problems, we had difficulty getting him to respond reliably to more complex requests. We trust that, like with any voice-operated electronic system, over time it will get easier to produce a wider range of commands that R2 consistently responds to. Until then, his movie-accurate look, the way he responds to simple commands, and the convenient beverage holder make him a fun comrade.