Not remade, but well made

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2014)

The main reason I went to see this film was my love for the first Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I already knew from all the teasers and previews that this was going to be something completely different, but I had to see what happened to Walter in this incarnation. I can say that in my opinion though the mutual literary source is evident, this one is really a completely different movie, with no intention of being a remake. Which is probably the best decision they could've made. Ben Stiller, is no Danny Kaye, and had he tried to be, I can only imagine the catastrophe it would've been. As is, he strike a perfect balance between the real dreary life and almost dreary character into which Walter's life has turned him. And the ragged adventurer hidden inside him. He manages to show the would be "loser", the fantastic day dreamer and the "adernalin junkie", and show them as one real person never making him heroic or super when the adventure is real, and even managing an ending that wouldn't be a typical Hollywood one, in the best way. The supporting cast is very good, the cinematography is practically superb. The inter-film jokes work nicely, and a sharp barb or two are being sent at the modern success driven internet age and the society we live in - making me all the happier. My actual rating is 8.5, but the stars system won't allow me to grade it thusly so I had to say it here.
In a single line - it's a real life fantastic comedy - go see it and you'll understand what I'm speaking about.