Review

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) react to an unexpected turn of events in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) and Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) react to an unexpected turn of events in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.

It has been eight years since the exhibits first came to life in high-concept, lowbrow Night at the Museum, and after itself exhibiting a bit more life with a peppy 2009 sequel, the franchise is seriously showing its age with what is purported to be its final installment.

Despite moving across the pond to the esteemed British Museum, the creaky Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb fails to capitalize on the comic potential provided by that change of venue.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

73 Cast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Rami Malek, Rebel Wilson, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Rachael Harris

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: PG, for mild action, some rude humor and brief language

Running time: 97 minutes

Instead it plays like a contractual obligation, with original director Shawn Levy, Ben Stiller and company (including Robin Williams in his final screen performance) content to simply reprise the funnier bits from the previous two movies.

While the dispiritingly dull, poorly paced upshot will probably still unearth untold riches for 20th Century Fox (the first two Museum outings earned some $988 million between them), it's still a shame the franchise couldn't have gone out on a more energetic note.

After an Indiana Jones-style prologue set in 1938, the action moves to the present day, where recently promoted director of nighttime operations Larry Daley (Stiller) discovers those lifelike exhibits have developed a disturbing glitch.

Tracing the cause to the Ahkmenrah's (Rami Malek) rapidly corroding golden tablet, Daley makes a pilgrimage to London, accompanied by his son, Nicky (with Skyler Gisondo taking over from Jake Cherry), to confer with Ahkmenrah's dad (the always welcome Ben Kingsley).

But even with added attractions Dan Stevens (as Sir Lancelot), Rebel Wilson (as a bubbly security guard) and a bunch of cameos, including Hugh Jackman and Andrea Martin, the film still feels like a tired relic.

There's also an undeniable element of melancholy in seeing Williams (reprising his Teddy Roosevelt) in his swan song, and even though the script by David Guion and Michael Handelman (Dinner for Schmucks) doesn't give him much to do, he looks tired throughout.

The film also marks the penultimate appearance of the late Mickey Rooney, briefly reunited here along with Dick Van Dyke and Ernest Tubbs.

Even when Stiller and director Levy attempt to do something different here, like having Stiller also play the part of his prehistoric ancestor, the clearly improvised interplay fails to match some of the welcome goofy irreverence provided by Hank Azaria and Jonah Hill back at the Smithsonian.

Time to hang up the "Closed for Renovation" sign.

MovieStyle on 12/19/2014

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