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“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” reborn as a flashy but soppy new adventure directed by and starring Ben Stiller, works out to be sentimental claptrap about (to paraphrase one of its characters) “courage and going into the unknown.”
James Thurber’s 1939 short story is near-unrecognizable here, in a Hollywood vehicle that retains no more than the title and the conceit of a daydreaming fantasist (Danny Kaye starred in an only slightly more faithful 1947 extrapolation). Stiller’s Mitty works as a “negative asset manager” for Life Magazine, just before its cease of print publication. The use of “Life” and its credo “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That this is the purpose of ‘Life'” is an admittedly clever bit of punnery, which allows sight gags like “The End of ‘Life'” and “‘Life’ Online,” the magazine’s digital future.
This Mitty isn’t married, but a single sad sack pining for co-worker Cheryl Melhoff (Kristen Wiig, forced, unfortunately, to play a blank-slate single mom). Mitty has a wacky actress sister (Kathryn Hahn) and a pleasantly doting mother (Shirley MacLaine, here for prestige and basic plot function only). As Life readies for its last issue, Mitty’s responsible for its Holy Grail final cover snap, sent in by star photojournalist Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn). Only trouble is: Mitty can’t seem to find the negative in question.
Having just turned the corner of 42, and being almost accidentally egged on by Cheryl and the absent but inspirational adventurer O’Connell, Mitty begins a globe-trotting quest to find his hero and the photo in question. Once and only once, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” achieves some romantic uplift when Mitty dreams of Cheryl and literally takes flight, but most of the time, the picture strains to make any kind of sense, much less entertain.
There’s a broad message to seize the day, but the story’s raison d’etre, the fantasies, are unfunny and almost entirely silly, lacking even Thurber’s cracked internal logic, and none of the characters cut believable figures, not even Mitty, who’s in every scene.
Instead of being a man who’s never lived and never will, except in his dreams, he’s now a guy who was once a mohawked skateboarder and reconnects with his inner daredevil. Stiller layers on artpop and wacky supertitles, but the insistent product placement reveals this one for what it is: an expensive commercial for time, life and some of the many corporations that have passed through that landmark building Time & Life.
Rated PG for some crude comments, language and action violence. One hour, 54 minutes.
This is the worst review of a film that has far more depth than given credit by the reviewer. The irony and commentary on modern life itself, spent now a days in a mostly digital realm, is completely lost on this reviewer.
This movie is artfully done, with lots of discussion to follow among the more thinking people that see this excellent film.
i agree; i just saw it at loved it; i went with my 12 y/o str who also loved it. i loved the iceland photography and especially enjoyed Ben Stiller. I plan to buy it on dvd and watch if with my family in the future again.
I, too, saw it yesterday and it is now in my top 5 all time favorite movies. I can completely see how this movie will not resonate with main-stream hollywood or media types. It’s way too deep for just an “entertainment” value. It has “life” value, too much for most movie goers who want to be given a “fantasy”. I cannot praise this movie enough! Thanks Ben Stiller!!!!
“sight gags like “The End of ‘Life'” and “‘Life’ Online,” the magazine’s digital future.”
You should probably familiarize yourself with the history of Life magazine, particularly the titles of the first and last issues.
Also, the visuals and art direction here were stunning — possibly Oscar-worthy.
Surely there’s a knowledgeable person who could write movie reviews for this site.
I totally agree with the reviewer. This moving was lacking everything. Worst movie I’ve seen in years. Took my nieces hoping for a movie to remember. This one is a movie I hope to forget.
This reviewer is so wrong about the movie! It was a great movie with a good message, amazing visuals and music, and great acting. Ben Stiller did a wonderful job with it, showing life and not making it over the top like other movies out these days. Reviews like this that are so wrong about the movie because the writer didn’t get it make the movie so underrated and give people wrong ideas especially when they say things like “but most of the time the picture strains to make any kind of sense, much less entertain” which is so completely not true. This is a great movie!
I love to travel. I lovvvve to travel. When I moved away from Menlo Park and began working, travel became an adventurous pleasure. Now that I am older, I have done many European adventures on a bicycle. The magic in having a loose itinerary and taking the road less traveled makes me smile.
Ben’s movie was fantastic because it reminds us that we should take time time to travel, meet drunk pilots, and see the world. Movie reviewers can miss the point and I would like to see if they have the talent to both act and direct. Walter Mitty is a great movie because Ben Stiller can show us that playing outside is not only for children!
I am exasperated by all the negative reviews this movie has received. This is a side of Ben Stiller I have never seen and that I–personally–want to see more of. That’s the problem with critics. Most only know how to do just that…critique. Look at this movie and try…just try to see the beauty of the message it sends. Not that hard. This movie gave me something not one movie has given me in a very long time: HOPE. This movie was inspiring. It says to me that you don’t have to be like Sean O’Connor to travel the world. Just get up and go! And that’s pretty much what Ben did with Walter Mitty: He got up and made an exceptional movie that touched the hearts of the more critical thinking viewers. Most of the critics I’ve read post about this movie need to stick to Dora the Explorer. That seems more their speed. Or is that too difficult because, at times, she speaks another language…?
@Daydream Believer:
Have you seen Ben Stiller in the 2010 film Greenberg? This might be the ‘more of’ you may want to see!
I loved him in this Greenberg, and now can’t wait to get my ticket for ‘Walter Mitty’.
Everyone is entitled to have an opinion, I just don’t know why they ask the most jaded people to share theirs. I’m assuming this “critic”/ heckler must have failed at being a film maker or screen writer or something. There’s no real understanding of how someone could be that negative about such a peaceful, feel good movie. If you really want to know if it’s worth checking out check out the IMDB mete score and rating. Otherwise pay no attention to this daft life hating heckler.
Delightful. My children ages 12 and 13 loved this movie as much as me. The ending caught me by surprise and I was surprised by the tears on my cheeks. We were all very moved and loved the adventure. The critics seem to have missed the true message. A beautiful movie.
Loved this Movie….A Movie you can appreciate, and would want to Watch more than once! Ben Stiller is absolutely a Wonderful Actor!!!
Day Dreaming at its best, Great Sound effects, Music, Funny, Ben Stiller goes out to find a missing photograph for the last published Time magazine. During his Journey he finds out he can do the impossible. He believes in his Company’s Motto “To see the world, things dangerous to come, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That this is the purpose of ‘Life'” ~Love It…
Great Family Movie, Very Positive. Gives Viewers Hope! Thank You Director Norman Z. McLeod.