Admit It, Rami Malek Was the Best Part of the Night at the Museum Movies

Rami Malek is one of the best actors working today, and his rise to prominence within Hollywood’s A-listers was seemingly quite efficient. It was only shortly after his riveting, Emmy-winning turn as the troubled hacker Elliot Alderson in Mr. Robot that Malek won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and later became a James Bond villain in No Time To Die. While it is amazing that Malek managed to earn three great roles in succession, he had certainly put in the work for many years doing projects that weren’t treated as being prestigious. Although it’s a part that could have easily been a complete embarrassment on his track record, Malek is actually really funny, charming, and emotional in the Night at the Museum trilogy—a series of live-action family films that are much better than they had any right to be.

Who Does Rami Malek Play in the ‘Night at the Museum’ Trilogy?

Night at the Museum is about the divorced security guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller), who gets a new job working the night shift at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. What he expects to be a normal job takes a fantastical turn when he discovers that a magical Egyptian tablet brings various sculptures to life overnight, allowing him to interact with such notable historical figures as Theodore Roosevelt (Robin Williams), General Octavius (Steve Coogan), the cowboy Jedediah (Owen Wilson), and Sacagawea (Mizuo Peck). Malek appears as the mummy of the Egyptian pharaoh Ahkmenrah, whose tomb contains the secret to what makes the tablet so magical. Ahkmenrah becomes Larry’s ally as they try to protect the livelihood of all the characters and the museum and prevent the tablet from falling into the wrong hands.

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Malek’s performance as Ahkmenrah is quite funny and subversive, as though he is a historical figure known for his power and wealth, he ends up being a rather affable, compassionate character who quickly befriends Larry. Given that Ahkmenrah is quite knowledgeable about magic and history, he is able to quickly adapt to the mechanics that allowed him to survive until the 21st century, which allows him to have easier communication with Larry. While Night at the Museum relied on the star power of actors like Williams and Wilson, who already had established personas prior to being involved in the series, Malek was a relative unknown when he was cast, meaning that he had to create an entirely unique performance that stood on its own. Although it’s easy to see how a comedic interpretation of international history could have been problematic, Malek is able to turn Ahkmenrah into a deeply intelligent, thoughtful leader that served as a positive representation of his Egyptian heritage.

Ahkmenrah Has a Strong Character Arc in the ‘Night at the Museum’ Films

Although it’s a franchise that contains a great deal of physical gags, the Night at the Museum trilogy gives Ahkmenrah a genuine narrative arc that aligns with Larry’s. In the first film, Larry is forced to accept the responsibility of protecting these characters from the outside world, and giving them a space where they can pass along their knowledge to another generation; Ahkmenrah is tasked with uniting the characters, allowing them to carve a new legacy for themselves by not getting bogged down in petty grievances. The second film, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, is able to spotlight how heroic Ahkmenrah is by comparing him to his evil brother (Hank Azaria), who wants to use the power of the tablet for personal gain.

Malek is able to give the final film, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, a surprisingly thoughtful conclusion through a storyline involving how Ahkmenrah is reunited with his father, Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley). Ahkmenrah’s ability to stand apart from his parents—who still consider themselves to be superior, ruthless leaders—signifies that he has learned from Larry over the course of their adventures together; this leads Larry to have more confidence as he reunites with his own son. While Night at the Museum may not be what Malek is immediately associated with during any retrospectives on his career, it is certainly not a franchise that he should be ashamed of taking part in.

Night at the Museum

Release Date

December 17, 2006

Runtime

108minutes

Sequel(s)

Night at the Museum 3, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian