Really Subpar but Over-hyped

Rating: 3/10 (15 December 2015)

The movie toyed around with all sorts of great themes and the problems of a modest modern sort of weak guy who retreats into his fantasy world. Yeah it is okay to attack corporate charades and downsizing practices that hurt employees more than just financially. That was a driving theme in the movie that was supposed to give it some meaning, which it did to a degree. Also the exotic location shots were a major plus, since chasing our elusive star nature photographer was the major plot device.
But the rest was crap. First was all the blatant product placement. No not placement, the products and brands were built into the script. Then was the plain old out of character moments when for no reason at all, he starts fighting with airport customs security, which required the intervention of a brand name rep guy.
basically, our Walter Mitty, which Ben Stiller was suitably cast as, had to find this all important picture from his roving camera man. The photographer was Sean Penn, for whom our Walter developed and processed his film but the two never met, though they worked together for a long time. So Ben/Walter has to go on this globe trotting expedition to find the camera man and get his film. Walt's bosses are sitting on pins and needles waiting for it.
That is all you really need to know about the plot element. But the conclusion will send you into hysterics. See this camera man, who never actually bothered to visit our nebbish protagonist, actually really admired Walter. So much that the final shot all of Life was waiting for was Walter sitting by himself at lunch outside. This he told Walt when Walt finally caught up with him in Nepal. Then we find out this wonderfully famous photographer, while never deigned to meet his unsung hero Walt, did visit Walt's mom.
So Walt gets terminated in the end, But the whole time, I am thinking, why didn't the Mr Wonderful Hero Photographer tell the suits at Life to not only keep Walt on, but give him a promotion? A totally Hollywood movie deserves a totally Hollywood ending! Or an ending with some grand unexpected twist, like Mitty was some bind, torture and kill serial murderer on the side.