Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) User Reviews (190)

Teddy and the gang are back

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 17 July 2018]

It will be hard to imagine a fourth Night At The Museum film without Robin Williams playing Teddy Roosevelt so I'm betting this film will end the series with a trilogy. Still who knows where Ben Stiller will be going next.

In this one Stiller learns that the ancient Egyptian tablet that's causing the exhibits to come to life is running out of juice, it needs exposure to the moonlight every so often for a recharge. The secret is at the British Museum so Stiller and a select crew from the past two stories accompany him and son Skyler Gisondo.

Hero of the first Night At The Museum Rami Malek gets to meet the exhibit of his father Ben Kingsley the ancient pharoah who created the tablet. Our crew also has to deal with a rogue Sir Lancelot exhibit who thinks the tablet is the Holy Grail played by Dan Stevens.

The good family entertainment standard is kept up in Secret Of The Tomb. Best scene was Stevens with Stiller and the gang chasing him interrupting a revival of Camelot on Drury Lane with Hugh Jackman as Arthur as Stevens makes his report to his liege.

I kind of hope there's another one, but who could replace Robin Williams?

Diluted Adventure, for Comedic Bluffs, Ending Wraps it up

[rgkarim · 6/10 · 24 December 2014]

Another day, another sequel and this one is unfortunately another kids movie that shouldn't have seen the light of day. I'm not against sequels mind you, but in most kids series seldom is any sequel as good as the first installment. This is the case for this past weekend's release starring the ever wacky Ben Stiller and his posse of celebrities. Yes my friends we take another trip back to the museum, for another hopefully fun adventure amidst it's hallowed halls. So sit back and read a late review of another Night at the Museum, the Secret of the Tomb.

Likes: One thing I have always liked with this series is the selection of exhibits they choose to bring to life, and the integration of their personalities. This installment brings the magic early on, bringing back familiar faces like Teddy (Robin Williams), Jed (Owen Wilson), and Octavius (Steve Coogan) in all their comedic glory. Amidst a grand speech, cool CGI effects are put into effect to bring the constellations alive that shine in all their cool blue light before chaos arises. Once we get to the London museum, more exciting things come alive, in the form of another CGI fossil, a mythical snake demon made of metal, and the warrior with golden locks Lancelot (Dan Stevens). The effects are fluid, the designs beautiful, and when actually integrated into the movie, more on that later, you get the fun feeling you got in the first movie. Unfortunately most of these objects are background, aimlessly wandering around the scene while the big boys come out to play.

Outside of the special effects there are some fun pokes at human society's obsessions, especially at internet videos, pop culture, and of course ridiculous habits that celebrities have. Some of these jokes are well timed, often delivered in a manner that is quite funny. However, many of the jokes, as happens most of the time, lose their charm and the lack of any witty humor makes it pretty much just mindless rambling that kids will only enjoy. Oh sure it's cute, but Hollywood needs to learn that more isn't necessary funnier, in fact it's the opposite. However, audiences allow them to get away with it, so what is the use in complaining.

Now past funny, this Night at the Museum has another emotional side to it, helping to teach the moral lesson of moving on in the magical theatrical way. With the use of orchestrated symphony work, well angled camera shots, decent writing, and of course great acting, I'll admit I got that tingly feeling all over. No it's not gas, but those looking for a life lesson reminder will get it in this film, and a decent closing to the series… I think. As for acting, well Stiller gets the most screen time on this one. The verdict, it's alright… when he's not acting like a buffoon, and the man has some surprising agility and giant snake battle skills. Most of the time he is a bumbling idiot, but given enough time he can pull out some other feelings that we saw in Meet the Parents. As for Williams, may he rest in peace, the man gave one brilliant performance despite his character being diluted from its previous glory.

Dislikes: A lot in this category for this reviewer. It starts with the adventure, which in the third installment has been diluted to a rushed set of sequences, hastily edited together to get out in time for Christmas. A shame since the tale had promise of suspense, timing, and mystery that could have tied so many things together. Instead, the story lacked any depth, quickly revealing the secret without so much a trial, a challenge, or even an argument, it was just handed right to them and a rather lame story as well. In addition, a lot of the suspense was missing in this film, with only an irregular decay in the tablet's magic threatening our heroes. Speaking of which the cavalcade also lost their spunk, the strong willed character reduced to comedic boobs, some of which hardly utter a line, as Ben Stiller takes center stage. Such a shame indeed, but your kids will get a kick out of the simplistic journey, that is if they can sit in there seats… which some chose not to.

Instead the adventure was put aside for… comedy, or what passed for it in this movie. Yes there were a few zingers at first, but they quickly were lost to stupid rants of ridiculous arguing with his caveman doppleganger, stupid exchange of words with exhibits, and some rather awkward discussions with Rebel Wilson. Sure it happens once or twice I can handle it, but it just kept happening, even at the big, exciting climax, with the lame bad guy. Why can these films not realize the limits of tired jokes? I can't answer it either, but sadly it took away from the movie. Perhaps this comedy was the reason why the characters were also a shell of their former glory, and why they were pretty much background characters with the new exhibits. Even the normally cute dynamic between father and son was bad, Hollywood choosing to make the son another lame teenager like most movies do. Is it accurate? Probably, but in a movie with magical tablets you would think a little magic could spread to the humans as well.

I'm not going to lie, this movie failed me on many levels, and disappointed me for the grand conclusion. Still, it is a cute film that kids will handle, and still holds a little of the spark that got me into the series. Worth a trip to the theater? Not really, but if you wish to pay homage to a few of the stars I wouldn't blame you. My scores for this film are:

Adventure/Comedy/Family: 7.0 Movie Overall: 6.0

Not fantastic, but very fun!

[rprince-832-6294 · 7/10 · 27 December 2014]

-Secret of the Tomb is the third and final installment of the Night At The Museum series, and this time the tablet's power is running out and the gang must go to the British Natural History Museum to try to find answers and save the gang! -For a film with some flaws that I noticed, it was honestly pretty fun! And that's what really matters in this, because it's for families, not Oscars.

-The story is rushed and doesn't make much sense or hold much weight in the film honestly.

-The pace is not bad. It doesn't waste time, but it does drag once or twice.

-The acting is meh. I feel like Ben Stiller didn't try that hard, along with some of the supporting cast. A few others however, Robin Williams and Lancelot, are great! -The characters are cheesy, but they are not meant to be super deep, serious people. It's a fun film guys.

-The effects range from questionable-to-good, but not Oscar worthy.

-The music is good, but really a repeat of the first film.

-I will say what makes it good and fun is that it feels more like the first film! It is adventurous and sometimes tearjerking, but still fun throughout.

-It is rated PG, so yeah.

-So although it has some major cheese and doesn't let up on a pointless story, Night At The Museum 3 is still fun and surprisingly heartwarming. I don't know if it is worth running out to see, but it is definitely worth getting in a $5 bin! I would give it a good 7/10.

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Review

[Allen_The-Shep_Shepherd · 7/10 · 19 December 2014]

My Thoughts:

I have always enjoyed the Night at the Museum series. I was a volunteer at the Air and Space Museum shortly after the movie was released, so it was fun interacting with the visitors that came in and asked about all the things they saw in the movie. Yes, they are not completely accurate, but they are still fun to watch.

This time, there is something wrong with the tablet that brings the exhibits to life and the only one that can help them out is Ankmenrah's father, Merenkahre, played by acting great Ben Kingsley. The problem? Merenkahre is in the British Museum.

We get to see what it is like for the exhibits when they are brought to life for the first time and how confusing and disconcerting it can be for them trying to figure out what is going on. We get to see this most prominently from Sir Lancelot's (Dan Stevens's) point of view as he helps out the New York visitors get through the museum.

Now, for all intents and purposes, this is the last Night at the Museum movie (at least, it seems that way for Ben Stiller). However, they did kind of set it up for Rebel Wilson who plays Tilly, a security guard at the British Museum. I will probably get flack for this, but I hope this isn't so. I am not a big Rebel Wilson fan. I think she is good as a secondary actress, but I don't think she can really hold her own in the primary role. She, like Melissa McCarthy, are one-trick ponies; they do the same shtick over and over again and never seem to bring anything new to the table.

This movie is not an all-time great movie, but it is a cute, funny movie that will take your mind of the real world for 90 mins. So, this holiday season, if you are looking for something funny to watch, you can't go wrong with choosing a movie such as this.

My Recommendation:

Fans of the series will enjoy this latest installment in the franchise. Others, if you haven't seen the first two, you should and then watch this one.

GOT TO BE REAL

[nogodnomasters · 7/10 · 23 May 2019]

The museum has been turned into a night time show, one that goes awry. Larry (Ben Stiller) travels with a crate full of characters to the London Museum in order to unravel the secret and restore order. While there we meet Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) and Ben Kingsley, and Rebel Wilson for broader market appeal (i.e. Brits/Aussies buy and see this movie).

The film is clearly for kids. The action and drama is low intensity. Larry struggles with his son (Skyler Gisondo) who does not want to attend college.

Hugh Jackman manages to play and laugh at himself. There is a speech given by Robin Williams about moving on which was a bit sad. Should be good fun for the kids, although they could have done it without a urinating monkey and BTW Orion doesn't have a bow.

Happy Ending

Sweet and sentimental adventure film, good in its own way

[ArchonCinemaReviews · 7/10 · 5 March 2015]

Night at the Museum was an original, hilarious, fantastical smash hit - but can Secret of the Tomb compensate for Battle of the Smithsonian's misstep? Night at the Museum can be everything an audience wants from a family film for the whole brood. Secret of the Tomb delivers adequately in the way a third film should, with heart, care and laughter.

Larry the night guard is still living the dream caring for the exhibits, and familiar characters, that come alive at night at the Museum of Natural History, thanks to the Tablet of Ahkmenrah. But magic is a fickle thing, and the Tablet is deteriorating, causing mayhem, havoc and danger to his pals at the museum. Motivated to save his friends, he ventures on a quest to discover more about the Tablet which brings him to the Museum of London as a last ditch effort to restore the Tablet and preserve his waxy, plastic and ancient companions.

With its third and final installment, director Shawn Levy returns to the magic that existed in the original Night at the Museum which ultimately captivated film-goers. As with many sequels, the third installment stays true to the premise of its predecessors and only slightly freshens up the premise with a couple of new characters and a swift change of location. Screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman smartly bring back beloved characters from the first film and don't muddy up the premise or story too much with over-complications.

Fans of the franchise will be pleasantly surprised by the heartfelt and sentimental Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. The thoughtfulness and homages to ancient history are present and the jokes have a wide enough range to make any age giggle. Rebel Wilson might be the one drawback for some viewers, as her distinctly loud character is weird and obnoxious and detracts from the sweet film.

Film watchers be warned, you might shed many tears by the end of this film, as this film critic did. The poignancy and relevancy of the film's final scenes are nearly too much as this film touches your soul and makes you nostalgic for the wonder that is Robin Williams.

Please check out our website for full reviews of all the recent releases.

A fun franchise that has now become a museum piece

[rogerdarlington · 20 December 2014]

In spite of the absence of a number in the title, this is the third (and last?) film in a franchise that I have thoroughly enjoyed for providing inventive entertainment (imagine a fight sequence inside a MC Escher drawing). Each movie has been based in a museum I know well and this time we are in my home city of London at the wonderful British Museum which means that the Elgin Marbles and other artifacts come alive. At the heart of the franchise is Ben Stiller, a comic actor with deceptively understated style, and this time he gets to plays two very contrasting roles, particularly funny when his characters interact.

If there are weaknesses in this outing, they are that perhaps too many of the original characters are involved (meaning that screen time is spread rather thinly between them), there could have been more original museum characters (the main one is Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot), and it would have been good to have more female roles (Australian Rebel Wilson as the BM security guard is effectively the only substantive one). And, of course, there is the sadness of seeing Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney in their last screen roles.

All that said, this is a worthy addition to a really fun franchise which has probably now run its course.

Secret of the Tomb - A Fitting Conclusion to a Fun Franchise

[sufyaanrashid95 · 6/10 · 19 June 2023]

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is the third and final installment in the family comedy-adventure film franchise. Once again starring Ben Stiller as Larry Daley, the film follows Larry as he travels to London to save the magic that brings the museum exhibits to life. The film is known for its humor, heartwarming moments, and impressive visual effects.

One of the strengths of the film is its humor. The film features a mix of slapstick comedy, clever wordplay, and pop culture references that will keep viewers of all ages entertained. The humor is often absurd and over-the-top, but it never feels forced or out of place.

The film also features impressive visual effects, with the exhibits coming to life in even more spectacular ways than in the previous films. The attention to detail in bringing each exhibit to life is once again remarkable, adding to the overall entertainment value of the film.

But what sets Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb apart from the previous films is its emotional depth. The film explores themes of family, legacy, and letting go, making it more than just a silly adventure movie. The emotional payoff at the end of the film is satisfying and will leave viewers feeling uplifted.

The ensemble cast once again delivers great performances, with standout roles from Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot and Rebel Wilson as Tilly. The characters are unique and memorable, adding to the overall entertainment value of the film.

Overall, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is a fitting conclusion to a fun franchise. Its humor, heartwarming moments, and impressive visual effects make it a standout in the world of family comedies. It's a great choice for families to watch together and a must-see for fans of the previous films.

Shouldn't stay in the tomb, shouldn't stay out either

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 28 August 2018]

Really enjoyed the first 'Night at the Museum'. Was less taken with the second, though that was more a mixed feelings sort film rather than a bad one. While not particularly well received, there was interest as to how the third 'Night at the Museum' film would fare and how the trilogy would end. Also the cast are too good to resist.

'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' to me didn't turn out to be terrible. Not great, or particularly good, but it is watchable enough and like the second film in being a mixed feelings sort of film. Where does it fare compared to the previous two films? It is for me the weakest of the three and indicative that the series had run its course. It does have enough to warrant a one-time watch, with the special effects and the cast being the best assets.

The special effects are all round terrific, elaborate without being overblown and it was clear a lot of effort went into them. The museum setting provides a good atmosphere and all the different historical and such settings and attention to detail are attractive and again a lot of effort went into them. The score is rousing and there are amusing moments as well as thrilling ones.

Ben Stiller makes the most out of his material and works hard to make it work. Dan Stevens is a quite exuberant addition as Lancelot, Ricky Gervais is fun and it was interesting seeing Rami Malek and Ben Kingsley together (Malek doesn't quite out-act Kingsley but more than holds his own). Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney (in his final film) make nice small appearances, but other than Stevens the best performance comes from Robin Williams in a performance that's funny and somewhat moving. The monkey is also a scene stealer and just about avoids falling into distaste and the digs and references are quite nice.

However, the dialogue tends to be forced and too many of the jokes suffer from fatigue. Larry was written with much more enthusiasm before, he is not particularly interesting here, despite some well-intentioned if cloying father-son development, and he is made to act like too much of an idiot in other places. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan try too hard and have been much funnier and better used elsewhere, while Rebel Wilson is just irritating. The direction is not as assured.

It's the story that comes off worst. It is very tired and predictable, and that is evident in lacklustre pacing and too many been there done that elements, including conflict that is too obvious too early. There is a sense of trying to do too much, hence why things feel muddled, and the characters are too many, some not always relevant. Structurally it feels cobbled together, while the final third is incredibly rushed and over-the-top and culminates in an ending where the sentimentality is too hard to stomach.

Concluding, watchable but also rather lacking. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Inoffensive but Light Family Comedy

[hypestyle · 6/10 · 18 April 2015]

"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" is the third installment in the NATM movie series starring Ben Stiller as Larry, the harried night watchman at the New York Museum of Natural History that has to play caretaker to a gaggle of museum exhibits that magically come to life every night.

This time around, the plot concerns the magical Egyptian artifact that allows the exhibits to come alive. For obtusely-described reasons, the magic tablet is losing its potency. Several of Larry's museum pals are now acting erratically (or rather, more erratically than what's been par for the course so far in the series). Apparently, the only way to find out exactly what's going on is for Larry and the gang to go to a British museum where an Egyptian Pharaoh and wife are embedded, to hopefully get some answers. (The overseas transport of several human-sized museum statues is treated with matter-of-fact aplomb; one of many such curiosities in the film that are best just accepted.) Along the way, the ragtag group (including stand-ins for Sacajawea and Genghis Khan) encounter a replica Sir Lancelot, who becomes a new companion on their quest. Among the exhibits returning for this affair are Owen Wilson as a miniature cowboy and the late Robin Williams as President Theodore Roosevelt.

A father - son bonding subplot is a little lukewarm: Larry's son Nicky (Skylar Gisondo) is presumed to have a strained relationship with his divorced father but the portrayal doesn't seem to revolve around much besides low-key arguments about future plans, in between ducking Triceratops skeletons and snake statues.

Also helping add to the fun in the film are cameos from an assortment of known Hollywood personalities. Recent "It Girl" Rebel Wilson ("Pitch Perfect") has an amusing turn as a guard at the British Museum - and it is vaguely hinted that the torch-- or rather, flashlight-- will be passed along to her for any possible future installments.

There is not much objectionable here, with the exception of a monkey relieving himself not once, but twice. "Secret of the Tomb" isn't as groundbreaking comically as the first installment, but it's solid enough for an evening of lighthearted fun.

Disappointment

[Imwallea · 3/10 · 24 December 2014]

I went to this movie because I am a big fan of the first and second night at the museum- to sum it up it was a huge disappointment . Probably 90% of the movie was completely irrelevant to the plot. I understand when movies have irrelevant parts to give the movie some comedy, but the irrelevant parts in this movie were not remotely funny and I have absolutely no idea what they were thinking while writing this. As for the other 10% of the movie that actually involved a plot- it was the least creative plot I have ever seen anyone come up with and also the worst conflict I have ever seen. If you enjoy making fun of things I highly recommend watching this movie because I could go on for hours.

Glad I saw it

[paulijcalderon · 8/10 · 5 September 2015]

I remember back in February 2007. I was 10 years old then. Our teachers at school said we were going to the library. It turned out they took us to the cinema. It was one of those surprises that you can't believe was real. We saw the first Night at the Museum. I remember liking the concept very much. I have always found museums fascinating, especially the ones of Natural history. So, the film always appealed to me. I saw it twice.

Then in May 2009 a sequel comes out. I remember having a fun time. When I left the cinema I was thinking: "What will happen in part 3?". Well, 5 years go by. And, a third film is ready to hit cinemas. I had to wait until February to see it though.

I finally got around to doing so today. It was kind of an empty cinema. Kind of a different feeling compared to how packed it was last week when I saw American Sniper. Anyway. I enjoyed the film. It was a good idea to make story about what would happen if the magic ran out. At the end though I felt really sentimental and a bit sad. The credits came up and everyone rushed out. I wondered if the kids today would feel the way I felt watching it. I remembered all the fun times I've had with my friends at school. It was really nice seeing all the character again in their full glory. The last film that made me feel this way was The World's End. But, this one left me thinking more.

I had completed a journey. It started out with all my friends and school in the cinema together. And, it ended with me alone. The movie at it's core was about moving on and saying goodbye to the past. But, it doesn't mean the past will disappear. You'll always be able to visit it again. You sit there watching the credits roll by and looking for a new journey to start. There will always be things to look forward to.

as Robin Williams would have said: Smile, my boy. It's sunrise

I'm glad I saw all these films.

Lacks the spark of the first, but a nice way to bring it home

[NS-movie-reviews · 7/10 · 21 August 2022]

Filled with antics, slapstick, and a simple enough plot for a family film, Night at the Museum 3 closes out a trilogy that marks the childhoods of many people. Spanning 8 years, this franchise emotionally concluded at the very end of Robin Williams' life; a fact impossible to ignore when watching the film. His lines seem to hold more reverence and importance knowing the reality surrounding the movie.

It's not as purely funny as the first movie, which is unique in premise and comedic as you see everything for the first time. But the third installment, some of the magic has worn off. Pun intended.

While not a perfect film, it's still a fun watch at just over 90 minutes. It's nostalgic, cute, and of course, the final words of Teddy Roosevelt really hit home.

I never write reviews on here but I wanted to save any other Night at the Museum fans the trouble of trying to scrub this film from their minds

[TBear6000 · 2/10 · 25 December 2014]

I don't really know how this film could have been further from the spirit of the franchise. The ending defeated the entire purpose of the two films that came before it. In each of the other films the main driving goal of the plot was to save the tablet so the museum will keep coming to life. In the first film they fight the old night guards and race through Central Park to see that this happens. In the second film they wage an epic battle at the Smithsonian against creatures from the very Netherworld just to see that this happens. In the third and final film they travel all the way to London to see that this happens....and then just give up and decide that it doesn't matter if they come to life or not; they're fine just being lifeless, inanimate museum displays. If that's the case then what was the point of everything they did before? Why not just let the old night guards have the tablet in the first film and be done with it?

They not only basically killed off every single character from the franchise, but they did it for no good reason at all. If it was supposedly so important that this Egyptian family be together (which I find hard to care about since we don't even know these characters) why couldn't the parents just come back to New York? They didn't even try. They were just like "Nope, we're good being dead" when every film has been about fighting to stay alive. I have no clue what they were thinking here with this plot.

To make it even worse they recast the son, Nick, into this new actor who looks nothing like the other boy who probably would be of a somewhat comparable age so it's beyond me why they did it, but the far worse offense than simple recasting was to change the entire personality of the boy. For the previous two films he was a good kid, precocious, close to his dad and loved that the museum came to live. Now he's a lazy, back-talking punk who wants to drop out of school to be an underground DJ having wild parties at his dad's place at 3 in the morning and who seems to care less about the museum or any of its inhabitants. Why rewrite and ruin a character that way for some tromped up father/son angst that feels forced and falls terribly flat?

And to top it all off, not only was the plot severely lacking and filled with holes and ludicrousness (like where was security when Lancelot crashed the Hugh Jackman play?) the film wasn't even funny. I was sitting in a packed theater and there was rarely any laughter at all. I loved the first two films but I couldn't have felt more different about this one. The ending where they killed everyone off was just the cherry on top of the disdain I'd already developed for this. In my mind, the franchise stopped at the second film which had a lovely and perfect ending for all the characters. They should have just left well enough alone but they got greedy to make more money where no more story existed.

I may not have found it quite as entertaining as others

[ForTheMostPart1999 · 7/10 · 7 November 2022]

...but there's still some good parts in it, and it extends the story nicely. It's good of course to see all the classic characters going out on another adventure first to the Smithsonian, then to the British Museum in this film. The new characters were some neat sparks of the movie, including Lance-a-Lot and La. The new live exhibits were also fun to see, including the scenes with the Lions and the battle scene in the "illusional" stairs drawing. Like mentioned before, this next edition to the series continues the story nicely with a more interesting story, as well as orgins, about the magical tablet of Ahkmenrah. It was also nice to see Cecil (Dyke) and the others again. Overall, just like the other two movies, it's nicely entertaining and also funny enough and fun enough to enjoy.

A Suitable Conclusion to the Live Action Franchise

[atleverton · 7/10 · 5 November 2023]

In the last film of this trilogy, Larry the night security guard learns to accept that his son has come of age and that he can make his own decisions. The backdrop of this story is full of zany shenanigans and awesome special effects. When the statues of the British museum starts to come to life, it is very creepy and effective. There's no real villain in this piece, the enemy is time. Does it have a monkey slap battle? You'll just have to watch this film to find out. It is a nice conclusion to an entertaining franchise. The last lines of Robin Williams are a fiitting epitaph-Smile boy, it's the sunrise.

If ever he would leave them.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 23 May 2023]

I guess three is enough for the Ben Stiller character of the former New York City museum of natural history security guard now in London to help his buddies from history on their newest quest, with new pal Lancelot (Daniel Stevens) dashing in his hopes to find the Holy Grail and get back to Camelot. Stiller sneaks into the London museum (charming guard Rebel Wilson) and finds his old pals (including Robin Williams in one of his last screen appearances as good ole' Teddy), dealing with dragons, volcanic eruptions (Mount Vesuveus) and other dangerous exhibits come to life. There's a hysterical tie-in with the legend of a character who never existed when Hugh Jackman pops up, playing King Arthur in a West End revival of "Camelot".

The return of Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney (his second to last film) in cameos is a nice touch, with Rooney in a wheelchair still quite testy, 92 years after his career in vaudeville began. Stiller also plays a cave man who was obviously created to mock him (antagonist Ricky Gervais seems to have mellowed into a friendly rival), and Ben Kingsley plays Rami Malek's father. The plot surrounds the damage of the Egyptian tablet which keeps bringing these characters to life, so this appears to be an appropriate way to wrap the series up, at least for now. There's also a nice cameo by the always funny Andrea Martin whose staid character has a spunky side. Some nice surprises makes this a fun popcorn movie, maybe not groundbreaking but serving its purpose to interest young audiences in the exciting moments of history while adding a modern moral take on some of the amoralities of ancient rulers.

Good Finish to a Franchise

[stevendbeard · 7/10 · 19 December 2014]

I saw "Night at the Museum:Secret of the Tomb", starring Ben Stiller-The Watch, Meet the Fockers; Robin Williams-The Crazy Ones_tv, Mrs. Doubtfire; Dan Stevens-A Walk Among the Tombstones, Downtown Abbey_tv and Rebel Wilson-Bridesmaids, Ghost Rider.

This is the third and final movie-at least according to Ben-in the Night at the Museum franchise. I don't know but maybe it has something to do with two of it's actors having died in the past year; Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney. Although, they did leave it where there could be another sequel-I guess they were hedging their bets, in case it does big enough box office business. Oh, and this is Robin's last appearance on screen, in a movie. He does have a movie that has not been released in theaters yet called Merry Friggin' Christmas-I have a copy-and he has one coming out next year where only his voice is used called Absolutely Anything. Anyway, in this installment you get to learn about the history of the tablet that is responsible for bringing everything in the museum to life. For some reason, the tablet is loosing it's power and Ben and Robin have to lead an expedition to England to discover why and how to fix it. That is where they bring in some new characters, including Rebel as the museum security guard of the English museum and Dan as an exhibit there. Besides the returning favorite characters like Owen and the monkey, there are several cameos, including a very funny one from a Marvel super hero. It's rated "PG" for some minor language, rude humor and mild action and has a running time of 1 hour & 37 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.

One of the worst films of 2014

[gamewolf66 · 2/10 · 24 January 2015]

Why does this film keep getting good reviews? I'm truly astounded.

I remember seeing this in December 2014, and I don't know how to say it but it was horrendous. And that's coming from someone who enjoyed the previous films. Let's start with the characters. Ben Stiller gives a decent performance as Larry, but this movie made him very boring compared to the other two films. His dialogue was filled with the emotion of a piece of cardboard, which, as you know, is very boring. The characters from the other films return, with Robin Williams' final performance being Teddy Roosevelt. It was an unfitting final performance for such a funny man. He was, however, the only enjoyable character. The monkey is back too, along with the Egyptian prince, cowboy and the Roman soldier. I don't quite remember their names. Also, Sacajawea (Spelling?), an important character in the last films, gets a total of 2 lines of dialogue. I counted. There's also Lancelot, who serves as a hero for the first half of the film. There's also Larry's son in the movie, but he adds absolutely nothing to the overall plot. And need I not mention Rebel Wilson's character? Her British accent is terrible and she is an unfunny and boring character. All the other characters are uninteresting.

Then there's the plot. It seems that the Magic Tablet that lets the exhibits in the Museum come alive is corroding, causing the exhibits to act weirdly/and/or violently. So they must travel to Britain in order to find Egyptian guy's father, who can help fix the tablet. But first, we get cameos from the three villains of the first movie. This is called padding out a film to increase its run time. After going to Britain, the meet Rebel Wilson and get chased through the British Museum. Lame jokes and boring fight scenes ensue. They meet Lancelot, who helps them. Then he's evil. (I actually didn't see that coming.) Lancelot steals the tablet and the gang must find him before the tablet is destroyed.

I won't spoil the rest, but it was a painful and unfunny movie. The jokes were either about outdated pop culture references, or were just unfunny entirely. The characters were stupid, unfunny, and hard to care about. The plot moves unexpectedly quickly for a Night at the Museum movie, which makes me feel like I didn't get to follow much of the plot. Also, Hugh Jackman makes a pointless cameo near the end of this fiasco of a movie. I don't even know why I watched this. Robin Williams deserves a better final movie.

Expect No Surprises

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 20 August 2015]

This movie failed to impress me. Maybe because I was tired after hours of driving or just maybe it was that lackluster. I don't think the movie was bad, just not good.

Ben Stiller reprises his role as the night watchman and he did it with the same deadpan style that many of his comedic roles dictate. Stiller as the straight man was never that funny to me. My favorite role of his to this day is Derek Zoolander.

The movie is still a good choice for kids. The humor is not too adult and some of the characters can even spark an impromptu history lesson. At the very least I got to see Robin Williams in his final role.

Swashbuckling Fun Ruined by Arrogant Sentimental Ending

[dropusalinebaby · 3/10 · 25 December 2014]

This film began and continued just as you would expect. A swashbuckling romp with all the old characters. For around 1+ hour things were going great with a decent storyline and a few new elements to keep things fresh enough. It was shaping up to get a solid 6.7 score.

Then all of a sudden the movie changed. It became a sentimental 20 minute ending. It stunk of arrogance by the creators, who must of thought that these characters meant much more to us than they really do. It was as if each was given their own heart breaking goodbye, it became very dull and uncomfortable.

This dragged on an on. At one point I couldn't help from saying aloud "boring". I don't think anybody heard but they were probably thinking the same. The final ten minutes or so was very strange indeed and the story just seemed to go off the rails, maybe the creator was setting it up so he can make another one with a few different directions?

We watched this on Christmas Day hoping for a fun action packed comedy movie. If we had left after one hour we would of left very happy. Instead the last 30 minutes or so were so dire that it has inspired me to write this, my first IMDb review.

Don't lie to yourself, you want a Capuchin monkey too.

[OlieRendch · 8/10 · 23 December 2014]

You know, Night at the Museum is one of those films where it's not a huge movie, it's not a blockbuster, there's nothing wrong with it, it's just generally not talked about in the film fan world as I've seen it. It is however regarded as a nice family film to sit down and enjoy, so was the second instalment, and this one isn't any different.

We all know the premise; a special Egyptian tablet makes it possible for all the exhibits in the museum to come to life at night. What I'm glad about is that this third film is not a rehash of the previous two; it's predecessors had a similar theme of a main villain wanting the table,t which were different enough to enjoy but Secret of the Tomb does something completely different with it's plot and execution which is an awesome change I enjoyed a lot. Of course another thing we enjoy with these movies is the actual museum coming to life and they do some really cool stuff with that idea and it's awesome to see these historical figures interact with statues and even paintings!

They brought us some new characters too which included Lancelot who steals so many scenes and has some great lines, I love that character; also we get Ben Kingsley as King Merenkahre who surprisingly didn't actually have much screen time for a big-name actor. Rebel Wilson as a British security guard didn't quite grab me as the other characters did, she was the comedic relief in what was already a comedy so her presence wasn't really needed and could come off as annoying. In the end Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb was a fun ride just like the first two, it has some awesome surprises I wasn't expecting and all round a good family film.

Has its moments

[Floated2 · 6/10 · 19 September 2018]

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is the third and final film of the franchise. Having lower than expected expectations based on both box office and quality outcome, Secret of the Tomb is a decent fun loved silly family film that has some quality moments thought at the same time doesn't offer much of anything new. Not on the same level entertainment of thrill wise as the original, this film is still quite a fun watch. Recommend for those who have watched the other films of the series.

The farewell of Robin Williams.

[filipemanuelneto · 5/10 · 23 April 2017]

This is the third and final film of the trilogy "Night at the Museum" and takes place mostly in London, at the British Museum. The script consists of a hasty trip to the British capital in order to repair the Egyptian tablet, responsible for animating the figures and statues of the Museum of Natural History, New York. Larry is the right man at the right time, even though his connection to the museum is far more relevant now than a night watchman. The script, however, fails when it tries to create emotive subplots, an error that had already occurred in the previous movie. This time the problem is a no-point family conflict between Larry and his son, who is now a rebellious teenager. This does not interfere with the main plot and ends up being a loose string in the movie, perfectly expendable during the editing stage. More effective in this aim is Laaa's love interest in Tilly, the chubby night guard of the British Museum. Humor and jokes leave a little to be desired, as there is not much new material and old characters have already lost the joke. Its Rebel Wilson, in the role of Tilly, who gets the most memorable jokes along with Dan Stevens, who played Sir Lancelot. Still about the actors, this film retained almost all of the previous cast, notably Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais and Dick Van Dyke, who makes a brief cameo such as Hugh Jackman, in the role of himself. This film, unfortunately, also marks the farewell of Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney, two actors who passed away before the film was released and are honored in the final credits. Thus ends this comic trilogy, with a well closed end that does not allow developments for the future.

A Trilogy about "Museums" Wouldn't be Complete without the British Museum

[BabelAlexandria · 7/10 · 23 May 2020]

We liked this for its overall fun mood. It was a bit strange that they continue to focus on the Egyptian exhibits, despite all the other possibilities, but I suppose it's for series continuity. There were also plenty of second-rate Indiana Jones themes and sub-plots, and the portrayal British Museum was inaccurate - they definitely don't have dinosaurs there!

Sienna's Rating:7 Stars Seb's Rating:10 Stars!

Paul's Rating 7 Stars

We liked this for good all-around feel, and the focus on the Egyptian exhibits! However, lots of second-rate Indiana Jones themes and sub-plots, and the British Museum was inaccurate - they definitely don't have dinosaurs there!