Night at the Museum

Factual error: Dexter the capuchin is in the African mammal display. Capuchins come from South America.

Plot hole: Christopher Columbus speaks Italian while the Huns supposedly speak their native language. Shouldn't Octavius and his Romans speak Latin? (00:34:50)

Plot hole: Why does Larry wait until the Mayans come alive to lock them up? I know he's allowed to be stupid but he had a lot of time to sit and do nothing and I can see no reason to wait.

More mistakes in Night at the Museum

Trivia: At the unemployment office, when Larry Daley (played by Ben Stiller) speaks to Debbie he says that he felt a connection with her when he first walked into her office and with a deadpan face she quips back that she did not. Debbie is played by Ben Stiller's real-life mom, actress and comedian, Anne Meara.

Super Grover

Trivia: While most of the scenes were filmed on a set, the room with the whale that sprays Cecil is the real museum.

Trivia: The film was originally intended to be directed by Stephen Sommers, who is best known for directing 1999's "The Mummy." Sommers left the project following creative differences with the studio. Sommers poked fun at the film years later in a commentary track in 2018, noting that he saw a movie once where a character was constantly and annoying using a flashlight even though it was bright enough he wouldn't need one. Sommers wouldn't name the film, but slyly said "it took place at night in a museum."

TedStixon

Larry: This is so not worth $11.50 an hour.

Question: What does Columbus say in another language throughout the film? I know when they're taking down the night guards he says "You are finished", but what else does he say?

Answer: Columbus is speaking Italian. The first night, when Larry asks him about the lions, he says "Go find the lion somewhere else" and then "tourist!" The second night, when they're chased by the animals, he says "Young man, do your job well, take care of the beasts" and when he sees that the window's open, "Kid, what do you say, shall we close the windows?" The last night, when Columbus is guiding the Neanderthals, he says "Fellow Neanderthals, with me!" and to the night guard "It's over!"

Question: If Cecil, Gus and Reginald knew that the tablet brought the exhibits to life, and could extend their own, then why didn't they steal it from the moment it was brought to the museum in 1952? Why wait after so many years?

Answer: The tablet did not extend life (the guys grew old there, remember), but gave more energy to those affected. As for stealing it earlier, that would not have been possible as they would have been the prime suspects. The best way to do the crime was to pin the rap on somebody new, like Larry, after they had retired.

Scott215

That's a seriously long waiting game.

Question: How did Larry find out that "Dakota" was the word for making the horses stop the carriage?

Answer: He looked the information up at some point during the montage that showed him doing all the historical research.

Phixius

Is it actually shown on the website he looks at on screen or just implied?

More questions & answers from Night at the Museum

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