by D.S. Thurlow
This is the third and perhaps last of the “Night in the Museum” series, featuring Ben Stiller as Larry Daley, the night watchman at an American Museum of Natural History which comes to life each night. Much of the cast from the first two movies returns, along with a few new characters. In this outing, Larry discovers the magic tablet which animates the people and animals at the museum seems to be running out of juice. A couple of clues lead him to Cecil Fredericks (Dick Van Dyck), the former night watchman, who gives Larry a reason to go to London’s British Museum.
The expedition to London turns into a madcap scramble around the British Museum, dodging its animals and characters come to life, through a performance of “Camelot” (featuring Hugh Jackman as King Arthur), and finally to a rooftop showdown over the tablet with Lancelot from the Knights of the Round Table (an excellent Dan Stevens). Along the way, Larry must deal with a teenage son who doesn’t want to go to college, a boss who loses his job over Larry, and a bored British security guard who gets in the way in London. The ending is bittersweet, as Larry decides to move on with his life, and as the audience knows this was the final movie appearance for Robin Williams and for Mickey Rooney. However, there is plenty of fun left in the franchise, with sight gags galore and the impressive CGI that makes it all work. Recommended as decent entertainment.