Night at the Museum 3 review- by Reel School

Full text transcript of Night at the Museum 3 review

Now that this Night at the Museum trilogy is over, I was thinking it would have been really interesting if one of them took place in a Canadian museum. We have some amazing museums and I’ve been to a few, not too many, because it’s not really my idea of a good time. Hey, listen, I make learning fun. I didn’t say it’s fun all the time, but think about the personalities you could hang out with. You could tell Terry Fox he’s been an inspiration to millions. You could tell James Naismith that Toronto has an NBA franchise and they’re pretty good this year. And you can even hang out with Superman. He’s a Canadian creation. Most of my American viewers are probably picturing a museum nightmare with wax figures of Justin Bieber, Nickelback and Rob Ford. And while the movie has some awesome animals running around, what would we have? A couple moose and a dozen beavers. Actually, that last part doesn’t sound so bad. Another little Canadian connection, the director of this trilogy, Shawn Levy, was born in Montreal and he’s fresh off debuting what I’ve called his best film.

This is where I leave you at this year’s tiff. That last film was really important because before Tiff, I only knew Levy is the guy who directed the night at the museum films, the internship date night and the film that personally spit on Peter Sellers grave, the 2006 remake of The Pink Panther. So I guess Levy has finally put his big boy director pants on. Well, it may be seen as a step back in terms of the pure artistic merit of film. Let’s be honest and give Levy some credit. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t enjoy the first two nights at the museum or is that night at the museums.

But really, let’s be honest, the first one was fun, but the second one was a hot mess. Scratch that. It was just a mess. The hot part was Amy Adams and her little Amelia Earhart pants.

A lot of pants jokes. Battle for the Smithsonian didn’t work because they had such a talented cast. And yet none of the jokes really landed. And some of the jokes they tried to force on you really dragged on and became very annoying. The last one wasted the comedic talents of Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest and Bill Hader. So for this third installment, they would really have to up their game and bring in an A-list comedian. So who would they get this time around?

No, no, seriously, would they get Rebel Wilson? I cannot tell you how unfunny I find her. I don’t find any of the Wilson family funny. Olwyn Rein, Flip Woodrow.

I will, of course, give these films some credit when it comes to the comedy as it appeals to both kids and adults, which really isn’t easy to do for most of the franchise. And the third installment is no different. So I get most of the comedy. I know which jokes are meant for the adults and the over-the-top goofy moments. Silly animals and physical comedy are clearly meant for the kids.

So who exactly is rebel for being a manchild that covers both adults and children? And neither of those demographics find her funny. Unfortunately, Wilson’s unfunny and annoying character isn’t alone.

I love Steve Coogan. He’s a very talented comedian, but he’s often reduced the worst comedic moments with partner Owen Wilson. Ben Stiller, who I’m not particularly a fan of, has done very well to carry this franchise. But for the most part, that’s because he’s been the straight man. But in secret of the tomb, he plays law as well. And over the top Neandertal. Hey, listen, if I want more Stihler, I’ll ask for Jerry not to Bend’s. Even the character of Nick Larry son, who was once an integral part of the soul of this franchise, is reduced to a whiny, annoying teenager. And you start to wonder, where did that sweet kid go? I guess that’s what most parents think of their teenagers. Never mind just the attitude. I was also wondering, where did that cute little face go? Well, it’s the easy answer. It’s a different actor and thank God, because otherwise that kid had some cruel karma. However, not every character wasn’t knowing or just there to cater to children. And it was fitting that in his last live action performance, Robin Williams once again brought the heart, humor and charm that he’s known for to the role of Teddy. But really, we knew what to expect from Williams already. And thank God we got it, because if a merry friggin Christmas was his last film, that would have been even more tragic. No, it was the unexpected cameos that were truly memorable. Not only do we get to see Dick Van Dyke, Bill Cobbs and Mickey Rooney also in his last film, but we get very cute cameos from Andrea Martin and Sir Ben Kingsley.

I find it funny that Kingsley plays a pharaoh in this, but he just finished playing Nun in Exodus, almost like he’s saying. Go ahead. People who hated the casting in Exodus find this racist who you can get away with that when you’re knighted.

Not Iron Man three, though, but the best cameo. And yes, this is a spoiler. So if you don’t want to hear it, skip ahead was that of Hugh Jackman. I won’t go into any more detail because you really have to see it for yourself. But that quick cameo is secret of the Tombs. For the win secret of the tomb is a very fitting end to this trilogy. It has a lot of heart, not to mention the great tribute that it pays to the talents of Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams. But is that really enough? It is a very cute film. And I want to preface, if you have kids, they’re probably going to enjoy themselves. But while this installment is a little more sentimental and heartfelt, it’s not overly creative. And I didn’t really find it all that funny. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad film, but it’s still a burn. It put question in honor of his final performance. What is your favorite Robin Williams film? As always, leave your answers in the comments section below. Be sure to subscribe to a real school. Follow me on Twitter. And of course, being the season of giving. If you get anything out of real school, you could always give a little back. Just follow the link below. Click the icon and you can become a real school patron. But until next time, school’s out.