Movie review Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
I haven’t been a fan of the Night at the Museum movies, but with the unexpected death of Robin Williams this past August, it propelled me to see it based on his incredible talent. I can also say that this third and potentially final installment actually goes out a surprisingly high note and that’s saying something.
Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, the night watchman of New York’s Museum of Natural History and this time he’s on another quest to restore the sacred tablet of an Egyptian king before it’s too late. Ah, yes. The whole “save the world” ploy anchors the plot once again.
Larry’s journey takes him all the way to England, but he’s not alone. Returning cast members including Owen Wilson’s cowboy Jedediah, Steve Coogan’s Roman emperor Octavius, Attila the Hun, Sacagawea, and of course, Teddy Roosevelt (the late Robin Williams) join him to reclaim the tablet.
Along the way, they encounter other historical figures in Great Britain. They find an ally in the form of Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) and Sir Ben Kingsley plays an Egyptian king and he spouts out one of the funniest lines of dialogue in the entire film about having so many Hebrews at his disposal.
As for the rest of the movie, it’s heavy on being a special effects extravaganza, but there’s also a lot of wit and imagination as in the opening scene where the museum showcases its new planetarium exhibit. I also liked a sequence with Larry going one-on-one against a gigantic Triceratops and using his flashlight to outsmart a series of lion statues. It’s actually entertaining stuff. Also, there’s a nifty cameo by a top Hollywood star doing an English version of Lancelot on stage that I won’t dare give away.
Regarding Williams’ performance, some of his final lines and especially his final scene in the movie do have more than an undercurrent of bittersweet closure. The movie is dedicated to him and costar Mickey Rooney. He concludes his career with the type of energy and humor that we’ve come to know and love from this iconic comedian.
As I said before, this third installment is the best and hopefully last. This was the chapter that I was not expecting to like, but I did. Not a great movie or a great series, but it’s a jolly, goofy sendoff.
Grade: B
(Rated PG for mild action, some rude humor, and brief language.)
Until next time, White County, this is Justin Hall saying I’ll see you AT THE MOVIES!
