Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

museumIn Robin Williams’ last onscreen performance, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb combines everything this movie franchise is noted for, as well as some emotional elements. Ben Stiller leads the cast of whacky characters on one final adventure.

 

This is the third film in this successful franchise. The films – Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) – are relatable to adults and children alike. They combine both fantasy and facts and even inspire viewers to dig a little into history.

 

In the first film Larry (Stiller) becomes the night manager of New York’s Museum of Natural History and learns an important fact about his job. At night the exhibits all come to life because of an ancient tablet that is filled with magic. Teddy Roosevelt (Williams), Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Jedediah (Owen Wilson), and Dexter (Crystal the Monkey), along with Rex (a T-Rex skeleton) and others, become Larry’s friends and every night they all share the night “alive” in the museum. The second film had them traveling to Washington, D.C. This third and most likely final film, takes them across the pond to London.

 

Secret of the Tomb is filled with all the antics and fun of the other films, as well as some very sweet and sentimental moments. The magic tablet is losing its power and Larry must take it, along with the gang, to The British Museum (where Rebel Wilson is the night security guard) to find Ahkmenrah’s father (Ben Kingsley) who knows the secret of the magic. While in London, the gang meets some new “exhibits” including Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens) and other memorable characters.

 

This movie has several underlying themes: fathers and sons, beginnings and endings, and friendship. While the film inspires viewers to research some of the characters, it is just as humorous and entertaining as it is a little bit educational. This is definitely a story that has wide appeal and characters that are adored by all viewers. A talking Easter Island head (Brad Garrett), Neanderthals, statues, and the famous painting by M.C. Escher (which involves amazing special effects), along with a large and fun cast of characters, create a story that not only makes viewers laugh, but also touches the heart. Yes, there are plenty of silly scenes, as we expect from these films, but this particular movie is probably the most bittersweet because of the deaths of Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney (who appeared along with Dick Van Dyke and Bill Cobbs in the first film as well as this third one), the reuniting of Ahkmenrah and his family after thousands of years, and the passing of the torch at the museum.

 

The bonus features on this combo pack are amazing. Besides several deleted and extended scenes, there is an interesting feature about how the filmmakers created the scene where the characters enter the Escher painting. This was no easy task. It took a lot of thought, ingenuity, and creativity, as well as special effects and exact choreography. Another feature looks at how Ben Stiller played two parts in this film – his original character as well as a Neanderthal that was created to look like Larry.
The movie was shot on location in the real museums, and the exhibits in The British Museum awed even the actors and filmmakers. And, with all this talent, the improvisation between the actors was enough to make a special featurette, and many of those improvisations actually made it into the final film.

 

With over 90 minutes of additional features and a story that is entertaining, educational, and endearing, it’s a fun combo pack for the whole family. Everyone will have his or her favorite character. Whose will yours be? Dexter? Octavius? Jedediah? Teddy Roosevelt? Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb is rated PG for mild action, some rude humor, and brief language.

 

To celebrate the release of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECRET OF THE TOMB on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has a fun Monkeycam app, available as a free download exclusively from the App Store.

 

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment business for 20 years. She also writes about technology and has been a travel writer for the past 12 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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