Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
Certified: PG
Duration: 98 minutes
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Skyler Gisondo, Steve Coogan, Rebel Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Crystal the Monkey
KRS Releasing Ltd

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb follows in the same vein as the first movie (2006) and its sequel (2009). It is a mixture of light-hearted comedy with a message and special effects showcase.

Another factor that will surely attract the audience is the presence of Robin Williams, who gives the film an added poignancy. Besides, this instalment also sees the last appearance of Mickey Rooney, one of stars of Hollywood’s golden age.

Ben Stiller once again holds his own as Larry Daley, the night watchman who has become an expert in history. The film’s opening is hilarious and entertaining as the museum seems to be trying to update its exhibitions by becoming more technological.

However, there is something with the Tablet of Akmenrah that is not functioning properly. This is the tablet that makes the exhibits come alive at night. Thus Larry needs to solve this mystery. This entails going to London and visiting the British Museum because in it lie the parents of Akmenrah: Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley) and Shepseheret (Anjali Jay).

Larry has issues of his own as his son is now a teenager (Skyler Gisondo) and there is some friction between them. Meanwhile, there are new characters: Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens), who is in love with himself, and Mindy (Rebel Wilson), a security guard who is a bit on the wild side. The Australian actress is here kept a bit under control, seeing that this is a family entertainment movie, but she is hilarious nonetheless.

Steve Coogan returns as Octavius, the Roman centurion, while Owen Wilson is back as the cowboy Jedediah, as they face problems with the diorama of Pompeii they are placed in. Williams brings his character of Teddy Roosevelt cosily to life.

Overall, the film’s cast delivers a collective performance that is warm and spritely and fits in with the picture’s overall feel. This time around, Stiller also plays one of the cavemen who seems to have some sort of connection with Larry. This adds dimensions to what Larry is dealing with when it comes to his son.

His character also shows why history should be appreciated and absorbed by all, as it would give us a greater understanding of the why of things today and how to proceed forward.

Shawn Levy, who had directed the previous two instalments, is here in better form than in the second feature. He keeps matters running in a polished manner while never forgetting the characters he has at his disposal. The special effects are well integrated into the story and become part of the proceedings in a smooth and fluid manner.

To its credit, the film built so much more than Milan Trenc’s 1993 child-oriented book had aimed for, and has made this franchise a well-rounded and perfect family treat.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.