While there wasn't any need for a third installment in the popular (though not cinematically amazing) Night at the Museum franchise, Shawn Levy and company return to right the wrong that was Battle of the Smithsonian. Fortunately for fans, five years proves long enough as the cast and crew pull off a major feat, steering things back into a positive direction with the exciting and entertaining Secret of the Tomb.
The film, which features almost all original cast members, centers around the depleting magical powers of the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, the device that allows the museum's attractions to come to life at night. The journey to stop the waning magic takes nighttime security guard Larry Daley and a group of his most trusted museum friends across the globe to the British Museum where the tablet's creator sits on display.
With any new setting comes new characters. That, in a nutshell, is why Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb works. Recreating the excitement of the original film, director Shawn Levy returns fans to the beginning, allowing them to become friends with Sir Lancelot, Merenkahre, a powerful pharaoh, and Mindy, the British Museum's nighttime security guard.
And though there are a few stolen gimmicks from the original film, it all works thanks to a cast who shares some impressive chemistry and appears to be having a ton of fun. Ben Stiller, in typical fashion, is a bit tightly wound and over-the-top, and Ben Kingsley is painstakingly underused, but the presence of Robin Williams (in his final on-screen role) and Steve Coogan, along with the introduction of the charming and undeniably hilarious Rebel Wilson, helps the film overcome its occasional mishaps and be exactly what it is supposed to be: fun. And though kids will likely get lost in the semantics of the story, there is just enough visible magic to hold their attention during the film's rather short 98-minute runtime.
All that being said, you must understand that Secret of the Tomb hits its mark for its target audience: families. It isn't an overall work of cinematic gold, and it isn't a fast-charged comedy that just got snubbed by the Golden Globes. It is merely an enjoyable, family-friendly film that goes well with the holidays. And while all signs point to this being the final chapter in the franchise, I can easily see a continuing storyline that would preserve Robin Williams' well suited farewell.
