Shawn Levy Movies
A filmmaker of youthful vigor and a penchant for lightweight, family-friendly comedies, Shawn Levy made a comfortable transition into features following success on television with efforts for The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Following his graduation with honors from Yale University at the age of 20, he moved to Los Angeles and landed roles on such small-screen staples as thirtysomething and Beverly Hills 90210, in addition to features like Zombie Nightmare (1986) and The Kiss (1988). He also became interested in the behind-the-scenes aspects of filmmaking, and soon turned his attention to directing with studies at the University of Southern California, where he completed a master's degree. Levy's short film Broken Record also earned the Gold Plaque at the Chicago Film Festival, as well as accolades from the Director's Guild of America. His previous television experience later come in handy as the up-and-coming director took the helm for the popular Nickelodeon series The Secret World of Alex Mack, for which he was nominated for a DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs award in 1998 for the episode "Lies and Secrets."In the years that followed, Levy built a strong working relationship with Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel thanks to such series as The Journey of Allen Strange and The Famous Jett Jackson (the highest-rated movie to that point for The Disney Channel). In 1997, the director made his feature debut with the little-seen comedy drama Just in Time, and in the years that followed, his career gained momentum thanks to such made-for-TV efforts as Jett Jackson: The Movie. He stepped into the big leagues in 2002 with the feature Big Fat Liar. Starring Malcolm in the Middle mischief-maker Frankie Muniz as a young schoolboy whose essay turns into a hit movie after falling into the hands of a sleazy Hollywood producer, Big Fat Liar earned healthy box-office returns. Soon thereafter, Levy returned to the small screen to direct episodes of Do Over and Birds of Prey for the WB network. The following year proved to be a busy one as well, and after directing the moderately successful Ashton Kutcher/Brittany Murphy comedy Just Married, Levy had another hit on his hands with the high-profile Hollywood remake Cheaper by the Dozen. In 2004, he stepped behind the camera alongside producer Ivan Reitman to direct The Pink Panther, a remake of the original Blake Edwards favorite with Cheaper by the Dozen patriarch Steve Martin in the role of the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2016
20th Century Fox presents this remake of the 1966 miniaturized sci-fi flick Fantastic Voyage, in which a group of scientists are shrunken and injected into a dying man's body in hopes of fixing a deadly blood clot. Shawn Levy directs from a script by Shane Salerno and Laeta Kalogridis, with James Cameron handling producing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2015
Ben Stiller and director Shawn Levy return for more after-hours mayhem in this third outing of the successful Night at the Museum series. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2014
Judith Viorst's acclaimed children's book is brought to the big screen by 20th Century Fox and The Kids Are All Right's Lisa Cholodenko. The tale recounts a day in the life of a grumpy young boy who has everything go wrong, all in one day! Rob Lieber provides the screenplay. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2014
20th Century Fox presents this Sesame Street feature film from writer Joey Mazzarino and producer Shawn Levy (A Night at the Museum). ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2014
Jason Batmeman stars in this adaptation of Jonathan Tropper's novel surrounding a dysfunctional family reunion following a funeral. Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Kathryn Hahn, and Girls' Adam Driver co-star, with Shawn Levy handling directing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2013
- PG13
- Add The Internship to Queue
Wedding Crashers duo Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn reteam on this Shawn Levy-directed comedy as two out-of-work salesmen who have to compete against an army of younger interns for a job at Google in this 20th Century Fox production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2013
Tim Tharp's unsentimental tale of adolescent frustration comes to the screen in this comedy drama following the story of a sociable high school senior whose self-delusion shattered by his emerging friendship with an unpopular classmate. Sutter Keely is one of the most popular kids in his class. Outgoing and fun-loving, he's completely oblivious as to what awaits him beyond high school. Lately, however, his drinking has started to become a problem. So when Sutter's girlfriend breaks things off, he reaches for the bottle without hesitation. Awakening in the grass under the gaze of studious, practical-minded sci-fi nerd Aimee Finicky, he isn't quite sure how he got into such a predicament. Over time, however, the two teens who couldn't be any more different on the surface realize they have more in common than either ever suspected. Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A group of guys stumble upon an alien invasion during a faux neighborhood watch meeting where they usually do some male bonding to get away from their dull suburban lives in this sci-fi comedy starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Will Forte. Akiva Schaffer directs from a script by Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg. Jonah Hill and Rosemarie DeWitt co-star. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
A retired pugilist transitions to the business side of the ropes after human boxers are replaced by robotic ones in director Shawn Levy's feature-length adaptation of the Twilight Zone episode "Steel." Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) was a true contender when the sport of boxing was changed forever. Now, instead of humans duking it out for the masses, huge, powerful steel robots trade blows in the ring. As a result, former gladiator Charlie has been forced into the role of two-bit promoter, piecing together cut-rate fighting bots from scrap metal as he makes the rounds on the underground boxing circuit. Just when it seems that Charlie has sunken to the nadir of his career, his estranged 11 year old son, Max (Dakota Goyo), offers him the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at a comeback by constructing and training a true champion. Now the stakes are higher than ever before, and Charlie is about to get a second chance at leaving an indelible mark on the sport he once dedicated his life to. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, (more)
This action comedy tells the tale of mild-mannered married couple Phil (Steve Carell) and Claire (Tina Fey), who fear their relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, they impetuously steal a dinner reservation, which leads to a case of mistaken identity. Turns out the reservation was for a pair of thieves, and now a number of unsavory characters want Phil and Claire killed. If they can survive a wacky life-threatening night, they may just rediscover the passion missing from their marriage. Directed by Shawn Levy, the film co-stars Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, and Kristen Wiig. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Carell, Tina Fey, (more)
- 2009
Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise star as two amateur detectives who, after solving countless mysteries in their youth, have since grown up and made an unamiable split. When a perplexing crime is committed, the estranged pair reluctantly reunites to take on one last case. A Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy helms a myster produced by star Stiller in collaboration with Stuart Cornfeld and Robert Kosberg. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Hollywood funnyman Steve Martin returns to the role made famous by Peter Sellers in this high-concept sequel to the 2006 comedy hit The Pink Panther. The world's most valuable treasures are being stolen. The legendary Pink Panther Diamond is the latest to disappear, and Chief Inspector Dreyfus (John Cleese taking over acting duties from Kevin Kline) is assembling a team of international experts and detectives to track down the thief and recover the missing artifacts. The latest addition to the crack team is Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Martin), the intrepid yet awkward French detective who always seems to get his man. Jean Reno and Emily Mortimer reprise their roles as Clouseau's partner, Ponton, and love interest, Nicole, respectively, with Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Yuki Matsuzaki, and the Bollywood beauty Aishwarya Rai rounding out the team that will travel from Paris to Rome in search of the priceless gem. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Jean Reno, (more)
- 2009
- PG
- Add Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian to Queue Add Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian to top of Queue
Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, the unfortunate night watchman who continues to encounter living and breathing museum exhibits in Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian, 20th Century Fox's tent-pole sequel from director Shawn Levy. Scott Frank, Robert Ben Garant, and Thomas Lennon provide the script, with Chris Columbus returning to handle producing duties. Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Hank Azaria join the returning cast of Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, and Owen Wilson in the 1492 and 21 Laps Entertainment co-production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, (more)
- 2008
A teenage boy forms a friendship with the man who runs a local water park that instills him with the strength to reconnect with his mother and the courage to stand up to his bullying stepfather in Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy's semi-comedic coming-of-age drama. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Two strangers (Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher) find themselves hitched after a wild night of Las Vegas shenanigans in this 20th Century Fox comedy. Jack Fuller (Kutcher) is a single Manhattanite who can never quite commit to a permanent, long-term relationship and repeatedly hears from his lovers that he "isn't serious boyfriend material." Employed by his father (Treat Williams) at a local furniture business, Jack spends his workdays goofing off by watching sporting events behind dad's back. Joy McNally (Diaz) is faring slightly better; a young, polished urbanite, she juggles a demanding job as a trader on the NYSE with a marital engagement to the impressive Mason (Jason Sudeikis), but has modified her entire life and all of her interests to please her intended.
Coincident with Mr. Fuller's decision to fire his son, Mason severs his engagement to Joy; as a result, both Jack and Joy hit the skids at around the same time and decide to cut their losses by heading out to Vegas. The two accidentally bump into one another when a computer mix-up at the hotel puts them in adjoining rooms; though they begin their acquaintanceship by bickering endlessly, they end up spending a long, drunken night on the town together, and when the sun rises and Joy comes to, she discovers that she unwittingly married Jack in the middle of the night. Alas, just when the two are about to call it quits by filing for divorce after the shortest marriage in history, Jack tosses a coin into a Vegas slot machine and hits a three-million-dollar jackpot -- which naturally pits the newlyweds against one another in an attempt to claim the full share of the money. A conservative local judge, R.D. Whopper (Dennis Miller), then adds the final twist by refusing to grant a divorce until Joy and Jack have given married life a fair shake. In time, the marrieds may just discover that this union isn't as far off the mark as they initially thought. Dennis Farina, Queen Latifah, and Zach Galifianakis round out the supporting cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Coincident with Mr. Fuller's decision to fire his son, Mason severs his engagement to Joy; as a result, both Jack and Joy hit the skids at around the same time and decide to cut their losses by heading out to Vegas. The two accidentally bump into one another when a computer mix-up at the hotel puts them in adjoining rooms; though they begin their acquaintanceship by bickering endlessly, they end up spending a long, drunken night on the town together, and when the sun rises and Joy comes to, she discovers that she unwittingly married Jack in the middle of the night. Alas, just when the two are about to call it quits by filing for divorce after the shortest marriage in history, Jack tosses a coin into a Vegas slot machine and hits a three-million-dollar jackpot -- which naturally pits the newlyweds against one another in an attempt to claim the full share of the money. A conservative local judge, R.D. Whopper (Dennis Miller), then adds the final twist by refusing to grant a divorce until Joy and Jack have given married life a fair shake. In time, the marrieds may just discover that this union isn't as far off the mark as they initially thought. Dennis Farina, Queen Latifah, and Zach Galifianakis round out the supporting cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cameron Diaz, Ashton Kutcher, (more)
The Office star Rainn Wilson portrays a drummer named "Fish," who gets a second shot at fame 20 years after getting kicked out of his band on the very night they signed the record contract that made them stars. Fish has spent the past two decades languishing at soul-crushing day jobs while his old bandmates became legends, continuing to grace magazine covers and dominate the radio. He might just get another chance at musical success, however, when his teenage cousin invites him to drum for his high school garage band, and they end up catching the ear of record executives. Now, Fish is determined to live the hedonistic rock & roll lifestyle he missed out on 20 years ago, but his new bandmates don't appreciate his hard partying -- and neither do his middle-aged knees. This Fox Atomic comedy co-stars Christina Applegate. Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) and Tom McNulty co-produced the feature, which was penned by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes, and directed by Peter Cattaneo (Opal Dream). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rainn Wilson, Christina Applegate, (more)
- 2008
Director Shawn Levy presents this story of a prosperous single man who steps into a supportive role for his newly widowed sister and her children after a tragedy strikes in this Fox 2000 production. The screenplay is provided by Mark Friedman and The Station Agent's Tom McCarthy, with Levy handling producing and directing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- 2006
A vehicle for the dazzlingly beautiful Rebecca Romijn, the WB comedy drama Pepper Dennis cast the model-turned-actress as the title character, an up-and-coming news reporter for fictional Chicago TV station WEIE. Aspiring to anchor the station's top-rated news broadcast, Pepper Dennis was understandably put out when the job went to handsome Charlie Babcock (Josh Hopkins) -- with whom Pepper had had a one-night stand just before he was hired for the job! Now relegated to the position of Babcock's assistant and occasional on-air replacement, Pepper did her darnedest to hide her jealousy (not to mention her still-strong attraction to Charlie) when anchoring WEIE-TV's characteristic "if it bleeds it leads" news features. Typical of Pepper's assignments was the episode in which, to expose a poker-club prostitution ring, she had to disguise herself as a hooker. Also, in keeping with the tenor of the times (the mid-2000s), Pepper and her colleagues zinged out a great many wisecracks and put-downs aimed toward certain right-wing cable news hosts, notably that guy with the Irish name who was "looking out for you." The rest of the cast included Brooke Burns as Kathy Dinkle, Pepper's whiny, self-centered sister, who moved in with our heroine after the breakup of her marriage (which she unfairly blamed on Pepper); Ms. Dennis' best friend, WEIE's acerbic makeup artist Kimmy Kim; and Rider Strong as Chick, a station cameraman who worshipped Pepper from afar. Created by Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts, whose previous efforts included the highly regarded but little-watched Wonderfalls, Pepper Dennis debuted April 4, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The world's most inept detective returns to the screen in this modern slapstick comedy. France's come-from-behind victory in the World Cup soccer championships turns tragic when the team's coach, Yves Gulant (Jason Statham), is murdered during a post-game celebration. Gulant's girlfriend, pop star Xania (Beyoncé Knowles), was standing by his side as he was felled by a poisoned dart, and in the chaos that followed a diamond ring he gave her was stolen, which held one of the world's largest and most valuable jewels, known as "the Pink Panther." The media and the public demand that the killer be found out and brought to justice, and Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kevin Kline) of the Paris Police pledges to put his best man on the case. However, somehow the astoundingly clumsy but consistently lucky Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin) gets the assignment instead, and with his assistant, Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno), in tow, Clouseau follows a dizzying trail of clues from Paris to New York City as he attempts to recover the rare diamond and find the villains who killed Gulant. An updated variant on the Inspector Clouseau comedies that helped make Peter Sellers a major star in the United States, The Pink Panther also stars Emily Mortimer, Kristin Chenoweth, Roger Rees, and William Abadie; leading man Steve Martin also wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, (more)
The new night watchman at New York's Museum of Natural History finds that the job comes with more responsibility than he ever dreamed in this wild fantasy comedy directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke. Larry Daley (Stiller) is a kind-hearted dreamer who always knew that he was destined for greatness, he just never quite knew how. None of his ideas or inventions has panned out, so with a heavy heart, he takes a regular job as a lowly graveyard-shift security guard at the Museum of Natural History in order to provide a more stable life for himself and his ten-year-old son. His first night on the job, however, he finds that guardianship of the museum is far from stable -- at nightfall, an Egyptian spell brings the artifacts and wax figures to life! With Attila the Hun charging to war through the hallways, the diorama miniatures embroiled in a deadly feud, and a two-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex nagging to play fetch, Larry has half a mind to turn tail and run. On top of cleaning up after two million years of historical chaos every night, he also has to make sure that not a single museum piece leaves the building -- from the bratty Capuchin monkey in the African exhibit, to the life-sized Neanderthal in the prehistoric display -- because if morning light falls on an escaped artifact, it will turn to dust. Larry turns to a wax replica of President Roosevelt (Williams) for a little advice on keeping things in tact, but Teddy seems to think that a man of Larry's greatness needs little help. Larry isn't sure if the former commander in chief is right; this is hardly what he signed up for, but he can't pass up the chance to care for a museum where history really does come to life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, (more)
The jumbo-sized Baker family are back in this sequel to the 2003 box-office hit Cheaper by the Dozen. College football coach Tom Baker (Steve Martin) and his wife, author Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt), have decided its time they took their sizable brood of 12 children on a summer vacation, and so they pack up the cars and take the kids to Lake Winnetka for some camping. Not all the kids are happy about this, but the one who is really annoyed turns out to be Tom, who discovers his old rival Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy) is also staying near the lake. Jimmy and his trophy wife, Sarina (Carmen Electra), also have a large family of eight children, and Jimmy and Tom seem intent upon one-upping each other at every opportunity. As the tensions mount, the Baker family and the Murtaugh clan face off in a not-so-good-natured series of family games to determine which of the parents have the greater bragging rights. In addition to Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, the actors playing the 12 Baker children from the 2003 film return for Cheaper by the Dozen 2, including Hilary Duff, Piper Perabo, Tom Welling, and Kevin Schmidt. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, (more)
Shawn Levy directs the family-oriented comedy Cheaper by the Dozen, a loose remake of the 1950 film starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, which was itself based on a novel. Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt) have made many sacrifices in their professional lives in order to raise their 12 children. When Tom is offered a job as a Division I college football coach, he moves the entire pack to a suburb of Chicago. This move shakes up the whole family, especially when Kate's memoirs get published and she takes off on a book tour. The lack of parental guidance creates problems for all the Baker kids, particularly handsome jock Charlie (Tom Welling), fashion plate Lorraine (Hilary Duff), and grown child Nora (Piper Perabo). Ashton Kucher stars in a cameo role as Nora's actor boyfriend, Hank. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, (more)
Can a new marriage survive meddling friends, disapproving families, and some of the worst accommodations in Europe? That's the question posed in this broad comedy. Tom Leezak (Ashton Kutcher) is a regular guy who likes sports and beer and tries to make ends meet working as a nighttime radio traffic reporter. Sarah McNerney (Brittany Murphy) is a beautiful young woman from a wealthy and privileged family who is trying to make a name for herself as a writer. Tom and Sarah have seemingly nothing in common, but that doesn't stop them from falling in love. Sarah's family doesn't much care for Tom's boorish ways, and Tom's buddies think Sarah is too highbrow for him, but, if anything, this makes the couple all the more determined to be together, and they decide to get married and head off to Italy for a month-long honeymoon despite the pleas of those closest to them. However, even after the knot is tied, Sarah's former beau, Peter Prentiss (Christian Kane), is dead set upon breaking up the happy couple, though as it turns out, a seemingly endless stream of bad luck and post-marital jitters may do the job for him. Just Married was written by Sam Harper, who claims to have loosely based the script on his own experiences on an ill-starred European honeymoon with his wife; fortunately, the couple's marriage survived the experience. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ashton Kutcher, Brittany Murphy, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.