Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

MPAA Rating: PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language.
Run Time: 98 Minutes
My Rating: 4.5/5
So today I went and saw Twentieth Century Fox's Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, the supposed finale to the Night at the Museum franchise.  The film stars Ben Stiller (Meet the Parents), the late Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting), Owen Wilson (The Internship), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) and Sir Ben Kingsley (Ender's Game).  The film follows the story of Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) the night guard at the Museum of Natural History in New York City who finds out that the magic tablet that turns the museum's exhibits to life every night is running out of magic.  This leads Larry and the gang to the British Museum in London to find out how to keep the magic from fading.  As they embark on their new journey across the globe, they encounter many new exhibits that are experiencing life for the first time.
So going into the film, I really didn't know what to expect.  I had been a huge fan of the past two films, however it has been five years since the last film came out so I didn't really know how this one would be.  Thankfully, I was truly surprised about what I saw on the screen.  It was funny and just a really good family film.  The new cast members do a great job at keeping the same spirit of the first films.  Rebel Wilson brings so many laughs to the film and is comedic gold in the film.  She is a wonderful edition to the series and I wouldn't mind seeing her character take control of the series if they decide to continue the franchise after this one.  Also after mourning the death of the great Robin Williams, it was a real treat to see him on the screen for one of his final performances.  He was one of my favorite actors growing up and he does an amazing job in this film.  Finally as for the cast, this film has probably the best cameo of an actor that I have seen all year long.  The crew did an amazing job at keeping this actor hidden and once you see the cameo, you can't help but laugh.
So I must let you know that if you did not like the previous Night at the Museum movies, than you will not like this film because it is just like them.  I for one am a fan, so that is why my rating is so high, but this franchise is definitely one that is not for everyone.  It is quirky and far fetched, but for me it is entertaining.  Really, for me, the only real downside that I could see was that I thought the film was too much like the first film, but that was about it.  It wasn't as quite original as I would have wanted, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like the film.
Overall, if you liked the other films, this is definitely one that you should put on your list to see.  The kids will love it and it is just a good family-friendly film.  You will laugh and maybe even cry a little bit.  This is definitely a film that I would watch again, so if you have time this holiday season, I recommend you see it too.