Review: 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' starring Ben Stiller and Rebel Wilson

While silly and clearly aimed at the kiddies, the first Night at the Museum movies were smarter than they get credit for. Ben Stiller plays a security at a museum where the exhibits spring to life when night falls, giving the historical artifacts a chance to be relevant again. For kids, the message was simple: history is both important and can be fun. Nobody's going to call either film a tour de force, but they had energy to spare and a high-powered cast (remember Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart? *swoon*). The same can't be said for Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, a rehash of old gags told with half the zip and a rather depressing send-off for two comedy legends.

Ben Stiller is back as Larry, night watchman at the American Museum of Natural History. He's spent years hiding the secret of the living artifacts: Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), diminutive cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson) and Roman centurion Octavius (Steve Coogan), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), and more. When the magical tablet that gives them life begins to lose power, for reasons poorly explained in a Mummy-esque prelude, Larry packs up the gang and flies off to the British Museum where the item gets its power. Along for the ride is Larry's teenaged son because if there's one thing all the madcap nonsense needs is some daddy drama.

A new environment doesn't give us new jokes, though. You've seen Larry get slapped by the Capuchin enough, and there are only so many ways Attila can grunt that are funny. Actually, that number is zero. Perhaps now is a good time to give Octavius and Jedediah their own spinoff? The biggest laughs come from their tiny escapades, including a hilarious Pompeii gag that is better than the Pompeii movie we got earlier this year. Worth an unintentional laugh is the presence of Ben Kingsley as an Egyptian pharaoh, as if we didn't just see him as a Hebrew slave in Exodus: Gods and Kings. Dude. We know you're a chameleon but you don't have to rub our faces in it. Rebel Wilson barely registers as a lonely security guard who falls in love with a caveman designed to look like Larry. She deserves better. So do we. So do the late Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney (he makes a small cameo) in their final movie roles. The script lets them down terribly, but especially Williams whose Roosevelt character is relegated to the background. He turns to wax as the tablet's power wanes. He's luckier than the audience.

'Secret of the Tomb' is beyond tedious; it feels like a slapped-together cash grab. Not even the broad strokes make much sense. For much of the film there's no real villain so the characters just run around in circles doing exactly nothing. Eventually a confused Lancelot (Dan Stevens) starts causing problems, but it's too little too late. Wasn't there an actual historical figure they could have used? Nah, that would have required too much thought. The sight of Stevens in his suit of armor will give moms something to look forward, to, but that's about it. They say those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Let's hope the lesson has been learned and Night at the Museum stays in the past where it belongs.

 Rating: 2 out of 5