Review: latest Night at the Museum sequel still has laughs
The first Night at the Museum came out in 2006, which was followed by the less memorable sequel Battle of the Smithsonian three years later. And now, it looks like this fantasy adventure-comedy series directed by Shawn Levy will come to a close with Secret of the Tomb.
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan
Director: Shawn Levy
Category: IIA
The first Night at the Museum came out in 2006, which was followed by the less memorable sequel Battle of the Smithsonian three years later. And now, it looks like this fantasy adventure-comedy series directed by Shawn Levy will come to a close with Secret of the Tomb. That’s probably a good idea, since its premise of museum artefacts coming to life after hours has worn thin – it’s hard to further develop the concept without repeating the same old gags over and over again.
Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, the night security guard of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where its “living exhibits” are experiencing momentary black-outs and incoherence due to the gradual corrosion of the Tablet of Ahkmenrah that holds the magic to animating objects.
The only way to “revive” the tablet’s power is to take it to the British Museum in London where its creator, a powerful pharaoh, holds the secret to this mysterious relic.
So off goes our motley crew of wax and miniature figures – including former US President Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Roman general Octavius (Steve Coogan) – with a cheeky stuffed capuchin monkey and a Neanderthal (Stiller on double duty) in tow to the British capital. There, they meet other living exhibits such as the dashing Lancelot (Dan Stevens).
The plot itself is predictable, but Levy’s superb pacing of story-telling, along with a string of surprise cameos, keep the movie engaging and fun. A subplot on Daley’s relationship with his son Nick, played by Skyler Gisondo, is heart-warming but negligible.
