Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

This final edition of the series is dedicated to both Mickey Rooney (who plays an elderly museum guard) and Robin Williams (Teddy Roosevelt), both of whom are no longer with us. It's a nice way to remember them.

Director Shawn Levy (the two previous chapters of "Night at the Museum") works from a script by Michael Handelman and David Guion who have collaborated before on "Dinner for Schmucks." The main issue in this plot is a potential loss of power from a magical tablet that causes everything in the museum to come alive at night. Our hero has to find an Egyptian pharaoh at the British Museum who knows the secret.

Here is a small part of a HUGE cast:

• Ben Stiller ("Night at the Museum") is Larry, the museum guard who has cobbled together some semblance of order when the creatures in the museum awaken each night.
• Ricky Gervais ("The Invention of Lying") Dr. McPhee is fired because he trusted Larry. Now Larry needs a favor....
• Skyler Gisondo ("The Amazing Spider-Man") Dad wants Nick to go to college. He points out that Nick hasn't even finished his Thank-You notes for his Bar Mitzvah, how can he possibly become a DJ in Ibiza?
• Owen Wilson ("Night at the Museum") Jedediah is as corn-pone and down-home as ever, but wait until he finds himself in Pompeii!
• Rebel Wilson ("Pitch Perfect") this British Museum guard is armed with only a claw hammer, but she really MEANS it!
• Dan Stevens ("Downton Abbey") Dashing Lancelot is upset and confused until he sees "Camelot" on a London theatre marquee. Then he is REALLY confused! (Wait until you see who plays King Arthur.)
• Ben Kingsley ("Ender's Game") Pharaoh Merenkahre loved the Jews. Larry has to explain that the Jews didn't love him back: They left Egypt.
• Crystal the Monkey ("Night at the Museum") Unfortunately, Dexter is back; I just don't like this character... His is the only tasteless behavior in this PG movie (see the preview).
• Dick Van Dyke ("Night at the Museum") Cecil becomes vitally important as the magic begins to wane. Seems he had a past....

This is a CGI lover's paradise. The effects are better and more complex with each chapter. As a rule, I'm not a big fan, but I am impressed! Watch a fist fight tumble into an Escher painting; shades of "Inception!" I also was impressed by Dan Stevens' comedy chops. The guy can be really funny!

There are many subplots for diversion and humor and I enjoyed the familiar cityscapes of London. We saw Trafalgar Square (watch how they divert those lions when they come to life!), the Thames, Parliament, the London Eye, Big Ben, the Gherkin, and the Tower of London, for starters. I want movies to entertain me; I was entertained. I had a good time!

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Here is a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3978472473
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