À Noite no Museu: O Segredo do Faraó

It's kind of fun, unembarrassingly, and not least of all because the people who made it look like they had a good time doing so.

There are some key elements that make this "Night at the Museum" sequel work better than its predecessor.

Like many a sequel that has exhausted its plot possibilities, Secret of the Tomb looks abroad to add color and culture.

Assuming Wilson isn't being eyed as Stiller's replacement (or are we starting rumors?), it's satisfying to see this series ultimately shake off the relic dust and bow out with energy.

Nice effects work, a relatively swift-moving narrative, sweet performances, and, by now, a well-worn premise prove inspiring this time out, and not deadening.

The good news: it's a zippy 90 minutes. The bad news: way too many of those minutes involve a peeing monkey.

It's all dumb, but fun.

"Secret of the Tomb" is pure fun with more than its share of surprises and action set-pieces...

A diverting and, here and there, rather funny journey for the museum stalwart Larry and his menagerie of Teddy Roosevelt, a miniature Roman general, a Neanderthal, a capuchin monkey and others.

Ben Stiller, Steve Coogan, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais -- all of them were considered edgy when they first arrived on the scene, but for some performers an edge is just something you use to pry open the piggy bank.

Granted, this series is primarily for kids, but nobody should feel dumber after watching a movie with "museum" in the title.

Ben Stiller and crew go for the easy laughs, spackling the cracks in their armor with a cavalcade of marquee-name cameos and one dizzying action scene after another.

It's a hectic pileup, this movie, but at least in its final laps it takes the time to say its goodbyes more or less properly.

Other than some stock establishing shots of London, the British setting is wasted, as are Ben Kingsley and Ricky Gervais, who, at times, seem almost embarrassed to be caught on camera.

Mainly for "Night at the Museum" diehards.

"Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" is a rather lackluster affair, a cash grab that tries to aim a little higher but confuses sappy shortcuts with real emotion.

One doesn't come to a movie of this sort expecting anybody's best work. Or at least one certainly shouldn't, because it won't materialize.

Williams glows briefly in one of his final roles, but the overall magic feels dim.

Frankly, there isn't a whole lot about this scenario that isn't disturbing on some level.

What is unexpected is the depth of emotion of many of the situations ...