REVIEW: Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: PG

RATING: ****/*****

PREMISE: (From IMDB) Larry spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever. 

THE PRO'S: Very funny, great new characters and the old ones are great as ever, a well done finale, great script this time around, Robin Williams final performance really hits home.

THE CON'S: Could have been a little longer, underuse of Ben Kingsley (who is hysterical)

THE REVIEW:

I will make no secret of this, I LOVE these movies. I enjoyed all three in their own way, but I can definitely say "Secret of the Tomb" is by far my favorite out of the three. It's funny, clever, and an excellent conclusion to what has been a really fun trilogy. 

The sequel picks up a while after the second, with the museum now open for a widely successful "night program", which Larry Daley funds and runs. Things go horribly wrong, however, when the tablet begins to rust over, and turn the museum's exhibits insane. Realizing the magic is running out, Larry and the others rush to England in order to find Ahkmenra's parents, and save the tablet before time runs out.

It's a journey that is absolutely one of the most fun times I've spent at the movies this past year. First of all, as I felt the others were, the movie is outrageously funny. Without giving much away, I can honestly say that this one may have the best joke deliveries. The characters are all on point, with Ben Stiller's new character "Laa" being especially funny, and Lancelot being a real treat. And all the actors really give this one their all, especially at the climax. And a few surprising cameos only add to the fun. And of course, Octavius and Jedidiah are big highlights, being probably my favorite characters once again.

While I'm on this subject, I must say I got emotional at Robin Willams's last performance. He really has one of his best performances here.  He's funny, and dramatic all at once, and especially at the end, he gave it his all. One thing of note is that one speech Teddy gives (without spoilers) feels very fitting given it was the last film he made. So overall, bravo Robin, you gave a performance worthy of your amazing career, and may you rest in peace. 

Other highlights really come from Ahkmenra's parents played by Ben Kingsley and Ajanli Jay. Both are absolutely hilarious, and their line delivery is spot-on. But at the same time, I really feel more could have been done with Kingsley. His character practically steals the show in every scene he is in, but he is unfortunately criminally underused. A fact which I felt was an "oops" on the part of the filmmakers. 

The only other problem I had with the movie is the length. It is a rather short entry in the series, and the journey, while a ton of fun, goes by fast. I felt that overall the story should have extended further, especially as it was the final journey. But overall, it's not enough to hinder the movie too badly, I just felt we could have spent a little more time without the movie dragging.

That being said, I applaud the filmmakers for so awesomely bringing the story to the end. At the end, I felt a real sense of completion, and overall, felt satisfied with the trilogy. There is room left open for a sequel, but I truly hope there is not, despite all the potential left. It was a great story that I think capped off this trilogy all too well. 

So....

IN CONCLUSION: 

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a fantastic ending to an exceptional trilogy. It's funny, well thought out, and really, really good overall. Despite its length, and underuse of Ben Kingsley, this was one night that stands out above the rest. 

4/5 STARS

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED