2.5 stars (out of 5)
The third and seemingly final NATM, once again co-produced and directed by Shawn Levy (who must have made this simultaneously with the tear-jerking This Is Where I Leave You), piles on the user-friendly gags, jolly cameos and dorky niceness with a sugary vengeance.
Larry (Ben Stiller) is still a night watchman at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, and in the silly opening sequence, he attempts to use some of the revived artifacts and friendly characters to impress a roomful of potential investors, but everything backfires. Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams in one of his final roles), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Jebediah (Owen Wilson), Dexter the monkey and the others are suitably embarrassed, and Dr McPhee (Ricky Gervais) loses his job, but Larry’s more concerned about the fading power of The Tablet of Ahkmenrah. Without its magic all the exhibits will stop being alive, and in an awkward plot development, he must take the thing to the British Museum, along with several pals, his son Nick (Skyler Gisondo) and a new Neanderthal character named Laa (played, perhaps, by a major uncredited star – or maybe not). Upon arrival, they evade goofy guard Tilly (Rebel Wilson) and activate lots of English exhibits, including Sir Lancelot, who’s played rather amusingly by Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens and tends to steal the show as he prances about doing knighty stuff.
Dedicated to Williams and Mickey Rooney (who briefly reprised his role as Gus from Part 1 and died shortly afterwards), this is bright and funny enough to probably entertain rugrats and dragged-along adults for 90-or-so minutes, no matter how overextended, overpopulated and un-magical the plot might get. You could do worse. Believe me.
I Wake Up Screening 