Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

The blockbusting ‘Night at the Museum’ series – of which this is the third and apparently final instalment – makes a big song-and-dance about peppering its CGI-heavy action sequences and kid-friendly slapstick with just a hint of something more worthy and educational. After all, a museum is a place of learning, not just a playground for wacky night watchman Ben Stiller and his gang of mystically revivified exhibits.

And yet, as the team travel to London to find out what’s gone wrong with their magical Egyptian tablet, the most worthy figure from British history the writers can think to reincarnate is – wait for it – King Arthur’s knight, Sir Lancelot (Dan Stevens). Sure, the script takes pains to point out that he’s fictional, but still. No Shakespeare? No Liz the First? Just a mythical sidekick?

Anyway, rant over: in all other respects, this is the first two movies half-heartedly reheated, with an added layer of accidental poignancy thanks to the star appearance of one Robin Williams. He, at least, emerges with some dignity.