 |
| Kristen Wiig and Ben Stiller |
There's nothing really wrong with the likable, peppy new version of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," directed by and starring Ben Stiller and loosely based on James Thurber's 1939 short story and the 1947 Danny Kaye film, except that it's bland and unmemorable. When Walter Mitty's (Stiller) job at Life Magazine along with that of his co-worker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig, lovely) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey to find a missing picture that will be used for the magazine's final print issue. "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a pleasant but unfocused film with a few fun moments and a great cast, including Stiller, whose schlubby Mitty you want to hug. Yet this uneven "Mitty" loses its way midway through, and you never get a strong sense of what Mitty is trying to accomplish as he episodically goes from one adventure to another or when he daydreams of a better life, taking a trek across the world to discover who he really is. Sure, it's a worthy dream, but the script by Steve Conrad (B"The Pursuit of Happyness") lacks a strong emotional core, even if it uses the Bowie song "Major Tom" very wistfully. Wiig is a lovely addition given very little to do, as does Oscar-winners Sean Penn and Shirley MacLaine, respectively, but it's nice to see "Park and Recreation's" Adam Scott as a weirdly bearded bad guy. I liked this version of "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and it's filled with many pleasant moments, but it's mostly just good and not great.
Wes's Grade: C+
No comments:
Post a Comment