'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' has divided critics.
In a new comedic adaptation of James Thurber's short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller plays a spineless proof-reader for a magazine publishing firm. He's incapable of standing up for himself and so retreats into a fantasy world where he is cool, poised, heroic and self-assured.
Ben Stiller As The Down-On-His-Luck Walter Mitty.
Stiller has directed a script from Steven Conrad, who has pedigree in this sort of field. He penned the 2005 comedy-drama The Weather Man, with Nicolas Cage, and Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness. Kristen Wiig is also along for the ride, as is the respected Patton Oswalt and Shirley MacLaine.
The issue here is that the critics are severely divided by The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter acknowledged that the movie is a difficult watch, though explained, "Audiences willing to tune in to its blend of surreal fantasy, droll comedy and poignancy will be rewarded."
Ben Stiller as Walter Mitty
"Though Stiller has proven he can be much funnier...the emotional dimension ultimately makes the film feel more substantial," said Peter Debruge of Variety.
Slant Magazine weren't so kind, writing, "Ben Stiller's aesthetics blend overly manicured imagery with soaring rock songs that underline every emotion, lest the film's corporate logo-driven message-making didn't get the point across clearly enough."
Ben Stiller Also Directed 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.'
Film.com described the movie as "Kind of like if Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru were remade as an 114-minute Super Bowl commercial."
Playlist was perhaps the most scathing, writing, "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty employs hackneyed and mawkish methods to achieve a false sense of joyfulness."
The reviews make for an awful score of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, though we'd expect this to climb to the mid 40's by the end of the week.
Ben Stiller [L] and Kristen Wiig [R] In 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.'
The movie screened at the New York Film Festival on Saturday (October 5, 2013) though gets a full release on Christmas Day.
Check out our pictures of Sean Penn, Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig at the premiere.
Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) is on his way to becoming the new Woody Allen, which...
Not everyone gets to the place they thought they would get to in life. Nothing...
Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman) is a celebrated New York artist, whose quick-temper and filter-less conversation...
Writer-director John Hamburg continues to recycle the formula that made his first hit Meet the...
With virtually the same blend of wit and idiocy as the 2001 original, this fashion-scene...
Though Derek and Hansel have left the world of fashion modelling behind them, a part...
Derek, Hansel and some other familiar faces are back in Zoolander 2! After offering their...
After a disastrous return to the fashion industry following his retirement, which almost ended in...
Writer-director Noah Baumbach once again taps into a specific point in life with astute observational...
Now in its third instalment, it's clearer than ever that this franchise is based on...
Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia (Naomi Watts) are a middle-aged married couple struggling to keep...
Larry Daley, the former security guard at the American Museum of Natural History in New...
Following on from the discovery that New York Natural History Museum's exhibits come to life...
One of those swoony American dramas that explores life in all its wondrousness, this film...