Uplifting, well-cast story of one mans path to happiness

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2014)

The goal of this film is to leave the viewer with a contented feeling once its 114 minute duration draws to a close, made quite clear from the outset and throughout. What we are essentially paying to see is the journey Walter Mitty(Stiller) embarks upon to reach this satisfying conclusion.
As anyone who had seen an ad for this film prior to watching will already know it's essentially a lonely planet guide to all manner of landscapes and settings. The initially bleak, claustrophobic office environments to which Walter is resigned in life are quickly left behind in favor of the wildest most extreme settings available. While his excuses for venturing to some of the more extravagant locations are often rather tangible at best, the viewer will forgive these thanks to some beautiful cinematography and a strong soundtrack running throughout.
Ben Stiller forgoes his often outrageous comedic tendencies for a subtler more restrained performance. His wandering character never pains and his personal development throughout comes across as believable and enjoyable by the films end. I would say that this film isn't comparable to his earlier work (zoolander, tropic thunder) but it is certainly a great performance as a stand alone piece.
while some people will claim that the story was a bit weak in places, and characters such as the overbearing new-boss are clichéd and poorly developed, I would argue these are actually necessary flaws to keep the films flow intact. There is no way a believable reason could have been concocted to travel to so many locations at such a breakneck pace for the films duration without a certain degree of directorial discretion being used. This facilitates the smooth flow of the film and leaves the viewer to focus on the enjoyable aspects without too heavy a story developing in the background.
While there are flecks of romance and comedy throughout this film, it is Walter Mitty's character that is the films focus. Thrown in are some great shots and a nice soundtrack. Everything else is rather incidental in a film that as hoped leaves you feeling happy without too much emotional effort at its conclusion. (8.5/10)