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Night At the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)
Daniel's Review
What would a review be from a sequel in a franchise without my franchise recap?
‘Night At the Museum’, an enjoyable comedic adventure film that was daring and crazy – in a good way.
‘Night At the Museum 2’ was a disappointing sequel with a very few moments of laughs and adventure, and nothing much to differentiate from its predecessor.
So where does ‘Night At the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’ stand?
In the middle.
‘Night At the Museum 3’ has moments of comedy and adventure that I came to enjoy in the first film, while having some odd silly moments of failed jokes that seem fit from the second film.
The third chapter sees how far the museum has come, leading the way in ‘special effects’ where the museum feels like it is coming to life, but unfortunately the magic in the tablet seems to be running out, so they travel to London to find out how stop the tablet from corroding.
The film has a great cast, with Ben Stiller and the amazing and late Robin Williams offering great humour and good acting performances throughout the film. But that shouldn’t takeaway credit to the other actors, as they seem to know their characters after three films. Newcomers like Dan Stevens who plays Sir Lancelot is a nice new addition to the franchise. However, as much as I love Rebel Wilson from ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Pitch Perfect’, her character seems to have the weakest subplot, although I give her credit in trying to not overshadow Stiller in his role as the night guard. The character of Laa feels silly and out of place, even for a film like this, as it became a distraction from the film’s pivotal moments.
However, I should mention the action scenes. They are done very well in terms of the fast-pace of the action scenes and the visual effects being very good.
Overall, ‘Night At the Museum: Secret of the Tomb’ isn’t the franchise’s best (that being the first film), but it is a better sequel than ‘Night At the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ ever was, as ‘Night At the Museum 3’ does provide some humorous scenes, some great action and a surprisingly emotional send-off for a franchise that brings magic to life.
Score: 5.8/10
Published: December 28th, 2014
Details
Review
Release Date: December 26th, 2014
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Runtime: 98 mins
Rated: PG
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Nic's Review
The first 'Night at the Museum' was a fun, family-friendly film that didn't shy away from its own ridiculousness. There was a sense of magic to it that few films are able to capture. It was a Ben Stiller comedy first and foremost but it did not feel like one.
Its sequel, 'Night at the Museum: Night at the Smithsonian' took the comedy element and stretched it to awkward lengths, so that many jokes were unfunny and the heart of the story was weakened. Lacking plot, character development or that aforementioned sense of magic, the sequel felt lacking in many regards.
Now five and a half years later, the third instalment aims to recapture what was lost.
'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' seems to strike a balance somewhere between the character and heart of the first film and the awkward comedy of the second and, as a result of the latter, fails to reach the humble heights of the original. But rather than being outright disappointing, the threequel is a surprising homage to the first film and what charmed audiences the most. The characters that were largely supplanted in the second film in favour of new ones return with pivotal roles.
One of the great potentials of the franchise is how it can take figures from any time in history and throw them together in a mismatched gang. This is 'Secret of the Tomb's greatest strength.
Newcomer Lancelot feels right at home interacting with President Teddy Roosevelt, Attila the Hun and Pharaoh Ahkmenrah. Laa the Caveman is a welcome addition to the pack as well, while there are several heartfelt moments courtesy of Dexter the Capuchin, Jedediah the Cowboy and Octavius the Roman.
Larry's arc is also resolved satisfyingly and the location shift to London is welcome.
A weak plot and an over-the-top performance from Rebel Wilson didn't stop me from liking 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' even if it doesn't quite match the original's charm and magic.
Score: 7.9/10