This movie is a recent live-action family comedy release, as well as the final curtain call for two great acting legends:
Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb! The big ensemble cast led by Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson and with newcomers Dan Stevens and Ben Kingsley. Here's a brief plot:
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Since returning to his job at the end of the last film, Larry Daley (Stiller) has since become coordinator for New York Museum of Natural History's "night program," where guests can witness the artifacts come to life (though the patrons and the museum curator Dr. McPhee (Ricky Gervais) remain under the impression that they are merely special effects). The exhibits then present themselves a public event and everyone is dazzled by the presentation of the "special effects".
However, while Teddy Roosevelt (Williams) is giving yet another motivational speech to the guests, the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, the magic source of how the exhibits come to life every night, starts to corrode and its magic becomes unstable, causing all the exhibits to act wild and cause chaos during the event, attacking guests and running amok all over the place. While everyone does eventually calm down, and the Tablet's corrosion is discovered, the damage is already done and McPhee is out of a job the next day.
Looking to find the cause of the corrosion, Larry does some research and discovers that the former head guard and main villain of the first film, Cecil Fredericks (Dick van Dyke) discovered the tomb in 1938 as a boy along side his archeologist father. Larry visits Cecil, along with his friends and fellow ex-guards Gus (Mickey Rooney) and Reginald (Bill Cobbs) at a retirement home, where he learns that the Tablet's secrets reside in England at the British Museum of Natural History, where Prince Ahkmenrah's (Rami Malek) parents are, due to the U.S. and U.K. dividing the dig's spoils they took amongst themselves.
In addition to all this, Larry must also deal with his teenage son Nick (Skylar Gisondo), who is finishing high school and has an interest in DJing, but is unsure what to do with his life after high school. Larry tries to restore the bond between them, while also trying to convince him to make a plan for his life, whether it includes college or not.
With the help of Dr. McPhee, Larry, along with Nick, Teddy, Ahkmenrah, Jed (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Dexter the Monkey, and several others journey to England to find the secrets of the Tablet and save the magic before it and the exhibits' lives vanish forever.
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The plot is once again Indiana Jones-ish, but once again has some differences, like in the previous film: new location, new exhibits, new craziness. Of course, for the scenes taking place "across the pond," you'd think they'd have a little more British humor in this one, but...oh well.
There is more action in the film, particularly in the navigation of the British museum and it's artifacts who have come to life for the first time ever (including a Hydra battle scene), as well as the last chase.
There are some emotional moments too, two of which I guarantee will leave your eyes welling up with tears. The first is during the climax when the Tablet's magic is nearly gone, and all hope seems lost as the exhibits begin to "die". There is a particular closeup of Robin Williams as he succumbs and it gets so emotional as you feel this is the way he must've felt when he took his life in August.
Another scene is at the end when Stiller and Williams' characters say a final farewell to each other, with Teddy telling Larry that it's been a great run and to move on to his next adventure, before turning back into a wax figure for apparently the last time.
Won't reveal any further spoilers though, you'll have to see it for yourself.
Stiller once again performs perfectly, stepping back into the shoes, jacket, and flashlight of Larry Daley. While still the same anxious, cautious, get-into-awkward-situations guy as before, Larry's character is toned down considerably from the last two films. The biggest themes he deals with this time are change, moving on, and letting go, particularly in regards to his son, with whom he's trying to do some remaining prep before letting him go out into the world, and his friends, whom he is trying to save from permanent immobilization.
Williams, in his final live-action role, once again dazzles as inspirational, witty, and always funny Teddy Roosevelt. Williams once again brings a wave of comedy of laughter and comedy to his role as the wax figure of the popular president. A wave that sadly will soon never be heard in theaters again... Nonetheless, the comedy legend goes out with a bang, just how he'd always wanted to.
Wilson and Coogan return as the insatiable minifigure comedic duo of the rootin' tootin' cowboy Jedadiah and the brood Roman warrior Octavius. The two actors, whose characters where once at each other's throats, have essentially become close brotherly BFFs. So close that at several times where it seems like it's the end for them, they seem to have a tender, somewhat more-than-friend moment. It becomes sort of a running gag in the film, which I find very funny.
Also, Dexter the Monkey is back with more of his slap-stick comedy (ha-ha), though the film also goes into a new direction regarding some of his and Larry's complex relationship.
Also, the brief returns of Van Dyke, Cobbs, and Rooney (in his last film role as well) as the trio of elderly guards from the first film also bring some closure, as the three have moved on from the museum into retirement, though Gus still holds a grudge against Larry. Also, the exploration of Cecil's background, and his part in discovering the tablet, also gives some closure onto why he was bent on stealing it in the first film: he didn't know how to let go and say goodbye back then (which ultimately becomes the big theme of the film).
For some of the new characters, British actor Dan Stevens puts on a great performance as Sir Lancelot of Camelot. His character sort of mirrors that of Buzz Lightyear in the first Toy Story film, and recently Reptilius Maximus of the recent Christmas special Toy Story That Time Forgot: All three characters are very deluded and believe themselves to be whom and what they were modeled after, but ultimately discover what they really are, and, after some initial emotional turmoil, accept their true purpose. Stevens ultimately fulfills the role of Lancelot very well, almost basically a British, larger, medieval version of Buzz.
And finally, Rebel Wilson absolutely kills as Tilly, the odd, plus-sized guard of the British museum. She displays comedic genius in her role as Tilly, and her British humor is what I felt the film should've had more of. As the film goes on, her character has hilarious encounters with the Tablet's magic in the museum, and even falls in love with...
Nope, not saying. See for yourself.
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Overall if you're looking for a good live-action family film for your holiday enjoyment, NATM 3 is for you. It's a great adventure to close the door on a trilogy, and the careers of acting legends Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney, both of whom died before the film's release. I give this film a 9.5/10 and recommend that you SEE IT!
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In loving memory of
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Robin Williams
(1951-2014)
AND
Mickey Rooney
(1920-2014)
MAGIC NEVER ENDS
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