The Film
"Have you done anything noteworthy or mentionable?"
Five years after Tropic Thunder, Ben Stiller jumps back into the director's chair for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. However, in true modern-day Mitty-esque fashion, he doesn't just jump; he swoops, scales and tackles, also taking on the title character.
This is the second adaptation of James Thurber's 1939 short story. Like the 1947 film, Stiller takes the author's idea and really runs with it. However, his Walter is nothing like Danny Kaye's buffoon. That would probably be a shock to anyone who has seen any of Stiller's most successful films. And despite all of that "blue steel" behind his soulful eyes that pop so nicely in this gorgeous adventure, he can play the everyman extremely well.
Walter (Stiller) is a photo editor for Life magazine, who spends his days looking at the most stunning photos depicting the most wonderful adventures. However, those moments pale in comparison to the adventures Walter can dream up. Not destined to keep daydreaming, Walter finds himself in the middle of a real-life mystery, when a special photo goes missing. Instead of whining and taking additional abuse from his new boss (an especially dickish Adam Scott), he makes his own adventure, going in search of elusive photojournalist Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn). From there, he finds himself face-to-face with sharks, a volcano, and his dream girl (Kristen Wiig).
Anyone expecting the Mitty that Thurber had always wanted will be disappointed here. Stiller's vision is filled with modern-day action and pop culture references. Not every single one of those is a hit. (Specifically, that Benjamin Button sequence seemed out of place and completely unnecessary.) It's also not like Tropic Thunder, Zoolander or any of Stiller's other directorial efforts. Instead, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is just a really beautiful movie. That said, it's a really beautiful movie with killer special effects and gorgeous imagery throughout. It's a shame that it didn't get a larger audience in theaters. It has a bit of Stiller's humor, but is a gorgeous showpiece for his work both in front of and behind the camera.
The Picture
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is gorgeous from the very first frame. Walter's notebook, his wood floors, and even the close-ups on his fingers show off some of the incredible detail offered in this 2.40:1 image -- and that's all within the first few minutes, inside Walter's apartment! His travels are filled with all sorts of excellent imagery, whether it's facial hair, violent waves, boat rust, pavement, dirt or flying debris. Just about every scene in this film is demo-worthy, with sharp imagery and a really lush color palette.
The Sound
Walter may have a boring life at first, but he's got a pretty kick-ass soundtrack throughout. The dialogue is stellar and when Sean Penn's character speaks, it carries some particularly impressive weight. However, there are a ton of other interesting sounds going on, with some of those integrating into the score to pack a particularly nice punch. This is specifically evident in the opening scene with Walter's clock and the sounds of the train. They both blend nicely into the music once it starts up. Again, this is just the first few moments of the film. Once Walter goes into that dream world and on his various adventures, the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track really revs up. There's broken glass, explosions, crackling ice, a helicopter, raging ocean waters, and an engulfing few moments of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
The Extras
Final Thoughts
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty isn't perfect, but it's absolutely underrated. Ben Stiller's version of the classic story injects plenty pop culture references (and Stretch Armstrong!), but is fun, sweet, and sends out the message that it's never too late to have a little adventure. It also comes packing eye-popping visuals and an immersive audio track, making this a really worthwhile purchase.
Product Details
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