I found some negatives....

Rating: 6/10 (25 October 2014)

Do you daydream? I think most of us do don't we? We imagine winning the lottery or going to exotic holiday destinations. or at least I do. But Walter Mitty takes it a bit further, he zones out and imagines himself as a hero saving the day. or saving a dog, or saving a childhood toy, or a friend performing karaoke. Not your average daydreams but very real and sometimes very exciting. He even daydreams about telling his boss off.. now everyone does that.
Walter Mitty daydreams because he is a pretty boring guy. He works for Life magazine and looks after the negatives from the battalion of photographers working for the magazine around the globe. Now before you say" "this is 2014, wouldn't all their photo's be digital? Who has negatives anymore?" let me say yes, I got stuck on that thought for a while as well. In fact, when you scratch the surface of this film you'll find there's not a lot of substance supporting very much at all. The plot is a pretty thin excuse for a two-hour film: a lost negative sends our daydreaming hero to obscure places around the world in search of the man responsible. It's worse when it's quite obvious where the supposedly "lost" object is anyway. But this is a Hollywood film and suspension of belief is after all an important reflex for enjoyment. It's not a bad film and it has a few laugh out loud moments but it's not motion picture history either.
My greatest criticism for the film is it felt like one long advertisement. If you've never read Life Magazine (my aunt gave me dozens of copies years ago) then you'll be jumping on eBay to purchase an issue. If you've never tried eHarmony then you'll be getting online to find your next soul mate. If you've never tried Papa Johns pizza..... well, you see my point. The product placement and references were out of control and left me wondering was the film made for artistic value at all? Now I'm daydreaming!!! Ben Stiller as Walter is a minimalistic version of his usual self. In so many roles Stillers' fall back position is aggression or confrontation but here he dials it right down to be a guy who, through his own choices, has been boxed into his unsatisfactory life. Day dreaming is his only escape from a boring existence and Stiller the actor is more mundane than he's ever been before.
Our romantic interest is played by Kristen Wiig who also compared to her usual roles is a bit of a wet rag in this one. She, like most romantic female characters, doesn't have a lot to do other than be the object of drooling affection, daydreams and the occasional tool of exposition for the audience.
Whilst Walter Mitty is supposed to be the hero of this feature, the hero for me however is not he, nor is it the photographer (played by Sean Penn almost like the adult version of his character from Fast Times at Ridgemont High) but it is the cinematographer. This film shows off some of the most gorgeous views of the wonderful world we inhabit from different angles and perspectives. There are several sequences in the film which made the whole experience worthwhile; an experience with a fishing boat, skateboarding in Iceland, a volcano and a high-altitude meeting Penn are all shot beautifully and underscore the real meaning of this film.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a reminder that there's a big beautiful world out there with interesting people, fascinating places and life changing experiences. Stop day dreaming. Go and have a look for yourself...... when you finished your Papa Johns pizza.