"Life is about courage and going into the unknown."

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2014)

I have been rating movies on IMDb for years but this is only the second time I am reviewing a movie. You know a movie has hit the soft spot when you go back home, close your eyes and fall into thoughts created by it.
The movie is the second big screen adaption (although not true to the original version) of the 1939 short story by James Thurber. It probably won't appeal to some but to many like me, it will be the kind that provocates thoughts about why you are where you are where you really want to be. It is about a man, that many will relate to, who is where he is because life brought him there. He is capable of being so much more who he is but is trapped in the existence that has been handed down to him. The only glimpse of his free side is trapped inside his imaginations which are revealed via his "zoning out" where he attempts to visualize the mundane events of his life into how he wishes they were. Exciting and vibrant.
It is only when life gives him a chance and he shows the courage to dive in, that he experiences a flash of who he can be. And it is glorious. It is such a powerful symbol to display what every "simple" individual is capable of being, provided they dare to.
A very strong factor for the convincing nature of the movie is Ben Stiller. He does a smack awesome job of being believable. He portrays the image of pure modest potential capped by the surrounding atmosphere. Ben Stiller's present age, physique and look fits into James Thurber's character seamlessly. 5 years older or younger and I doubt it would have had the same impact. The supporting characters do their job well but not well enough for me to sympathize or relate to. Jose Gonzale provides a few strong musical scores (The best being 'Step Out' that is also the prime number in the launch trailer) that set an underlying tone for the theme.
Ben Stiler mentioned in one of his interviews that he had spent 1.5 years editing this $80 million movie. An effort well spent, I reckon.