THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

 

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY Review

By Darin Skaggs

     We’ve all seen the story where one average man is struggling with the fact he has done nothing with his life.  Then, because of that fact, he decides to travel and have one of the biggest adventures he has ever had.  This story has been repeated over and over.  It has been run dry from giving us anything new.  Yet, Ben Stiller’s new film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty gives a breath of fresh air in this overdone tale with some missteps.

     The film is about Mitty, played by Stiller, works in a basement like room where he produces photos for LIFE magazine.  At this time LIFE magazine is about to close and become an online magazine.  His good friend and professional photographer Sean O’Connell, played by Sean Penn, has sent him the still for the final cover page.  Mitty and his co-worker cannot find it.  With the investigative help of co-worker and love interest Cheryl Melhoff, played by Kristen Wiig, Mitty sets out to find O’Connell and the missing picture.

     The interesting aspect of Mitty’s character is that he, every once in a while, zones out and goes into his imaginary world where he becomes heroic.  At one point he saves a dog from a building about to explode, the next minute he’s a dashing ice climber.  Mitty is mocked for zoning out, especially by his new boss Ted Hendricks, played by Adam Scott.  He imagines he has an epic fight on moving cars with Hendricks at one point.  The second half of the film is where his ”zoning out” moments are inspiration for having hero like moments in real life.

     The film is absolutely stunning.  The film gives you a sense that you’re in the places Mitty is.  There is a volcano that erupts and is incredibly beautiful.  Shots of mountains make you feel you like you are really there.  There is a trek across snow that makes you feel like you can do anything.  Though the film looks so good the themes it is trying to get across is often hitting you over the head.  The magazine just happens to be LIFE.  The final magazine is about to be released the same time Mitty decides to live every day like it’s the final one.  The film is constantly saying the motto of LIFE, which is inspirational at first but then becomes over rot.

     Ben Stiller is known for his comedies, such as the hilarious Zoolander and Tropic Thunder.  This time around he wanted to go for more of a light drama, sort of an inspirational light comedy.  All of that works for the most part with some great laughs including a misunderstanding of the plot of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and anti-climactic moment with one of the most inspiration sounding songs of all time.  With those funny moments a lot of the comedy does fall flat.  It seemed there were not a lot of jokes in the film so they looked at the script and just randomly added jokes to make it funnier.

     Walter Mitty is an enjoyable watch.  You will be glued to the beauty of the screen and leave wanting more.  The comedy works sometimes yet fails the majority of the time.  It is a film that says an over rot subject and gives it some new life.