Das erstaunliche Leben des Walter Mitty

Mit Walter Mitty kämpfe ich, und das auch nach dem zweiten Mal auf einer großen Leinwand. Er hat schöne Szenerien, einen Soundtrack voller Energie und eine positive Laune. Wenn ich aber den Verstand einschalte, scheint mir der Film ein Ausmalbild zu sein, das keinen großen Sinn ergibt und die Gedanken über das Leben zu direkt und inhaltslos präsentiert. Das führt dazu, dass der Film in Richtung eines exotischen Familienhäppchens geht. Walter Mitty sieht die Welt ausgelassen und euphorisch mit dem Verstand eines Kindes, das noch nichts erlebt hat. (16.01.2014)

In addition to virtual relationships, in the introduction Stiller also cautiously raises a middle finger to corporate capitalism, which strips people of their individuality and transforms individuals into pawns who are willing to do anything to hold on to their jobs. A person’s own body – or rather mind – thus becomes his or her last refuge. The liberating power of the imagination allows one to at least dream of doing noble deeds worthy of great romantic heroes, who were long ago displaced from reality and put into epic Hollywood fairy tales. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is not ashamed to admit that it is itself such a fairy tale whose message justifies its numerous spectacular scenes. The second half of the film is made up of a series of stirring adventure stories whose aesthetic concept is consciously inspired by magazine covers, since Walter escapes from his daily routine into photographs from prestigious magazines. Though the special-effects sequences blur the line between dream and reality to such an extent that the difference becomes irrelevant (instead of creating a certain tension), they also gently complement the characteristics of the main protagonist. Even though the romantic subplot seems superfluous on the surface and the film may seem like a self-improvement handbook for men who don’t know what to do with their lives, other people (his girlfriend, Sean O'Connell, his mother and, indirectly, even his deceased father) directly and indirectly support Walter in his solo adventures and compel him to continue in them throughout the film. In the current “contactless” era, a very welcome feature of this film is its effort to convince viewers not to live only in the virtual world and to not be afraid to realise their dreams, to not be selfish and to not stop thinking of others even in the most difficult moments (due to which the film seems more conformist than the roughly similar anarchistic action flick Wanted). Walter Mitty demonstrates that Stiller is able to suppress his eccentric comic nature in favour of a relatively serious idea. However, that seriousness is fortunately never taken so far that the film would completely step outside the realm of feel-good entertainment for the big screen and for the whole family. With the benefit of hindsight and in all seriousness, I wouldn’t hesitate to call Walter Mitty the most positive movie surprise of last year. 85% (13.01.2014)

An optimistic snack that irradiates energy and peace. All that nonsense that is needed for Walter’s adventure to continue, in connection with this particular film, didn’t bother me at all. What I didn’t like was the utter predictability of the plot, in particular those questions: “where has picture 25 gone?”. The answer will be clear to anyone. And yet, it’s solid, brisk fun that’s nice to watch and makes sense going to the cinema for it. The locations are breathtaking. (27.12.2013)

Do you know what it feels like to meet the cutest movie of 2013? You happen to watch it. At the end, you read the final credits, focus on every single person who participated in making the movie and you cannot but wonder how Ben even managed to make the movie in the first place. Because what you realize is that it’s actually his most normal, and also most honest movie, and all that makes it the best movie he’s ever been in. Every single character is out of this world. The beautiful Kristen Wiig delivers such a performance that you could simply kiss her. The Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson gets so hammered that you’d love to do the afternoon bender all over again sometime, even including all the bad stuff booze does to you… well and Sean Penn has a moment prepared for you that you should never ever forget. Movies are about dreaming, imagination and about what our lives should be like. But why couldn’t life be like that? Walter Mitty proves that nothing is impossible. He accomplished what we all just take aerial views of, contemplating how we could accomplish our goals. And yes, this movie is supported by both the incredible shots of unbelievable landscapes in Greenland and then in Iceland, and also by an awesome soundtrack that included Arcade Fire and Of Monsters and Men. Two amazing bands that will make you dream… and that will make you act. You simply need to find a way of your own… (29.12.2013)

If Stiller had not tripped himself up so unsportingly immediately during the New York part when Walter’s over the top stories are like something out of Tropical Storm and so completely at odds with the mood and atmosphere that it is trying for (successfully from the moment when they set off on their journey) my impressions would have been much more positive. Even so, this just couldn’t shake off the label of “the movie that tried so hard, but so hopelessly for two hours to achieve what they achieved incomparably better in the first trailer". (17.01.2014)

Walter Mitty used to be a punk and skateboarder with lots of crazy ideas and the belief that the world would be at his feet one day. Today, he is a shy and unassuming middle-aged man who spends most of his time in the archive and escapes more and more often into the realm of dreams, where he successfully competes with comic book heroes and has no trouble impressing his sympathetic colleague, with whom he would like to establish an intimate relationship. The loss of an important negative and his awakened professional pride provoke him to leave his safe shell. The following days turn into a magnificent journey during which Walter visits three continents and convinces himself that dreams can become reality. For several generations, movie viewers have turned to the film medium to escape from mundane reality into a world of boundless fantasy, and Walter gives them hope that even ordinary people like them can experience wonderful adventures and achieve something great. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty combines several genres from comedy to romance and road movie, and it must be said that it works well, partly thanks to Ben Stiller's commitment, who saw this project as a unique opportunity to break free from the stereotype of cheap entertainers and become a respected versatile creator. The film has divided critics and journalists into two sharply contrasting positions overseas. Some speak of it as a highly entertaining, well-executed film that deserves an Oscar, if not in the main categories, then at least for its technical aspects. Others speak with the same enthusiasm about cheap sentimentality, sycophancy, and unfulfilled ambitions that should be rewarded with a Golden Raspberry. Let's face it, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is as middlebrow as it gets, but I can say for myself that I really enjoyed it, appreciated the excellent camera work with beautiful nature images, and I dare to recommend The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as an ideal example of a family film that can work across generations, educational backgrounds, and gender differences. Overall impression: 90%. (14.01.2014)

A light-hearted and optimistic movie about the “quintessence of life" which entertains in an non-intrusive manner so rare today, even managing to intimate some wisdom about life. Stiller has grown a little still as a director and the polished visuals are amazingly pleasant to the eye. Like a nature documentary without annoying explanatory digressions. Eyjafjallajokull. (30.03.2014)

Forrest Gump two decades later, with all the good and bad that can be associated with it. We have again a barrage of all those scents, images and emotions about the search for oneself, but in a slightly more modern and refined guise. Yet the final impression is somewhat brought down by the duplication and unoriginality, which may not be so noticeable in the whole as such, but in the details it certainly is, and by mental maturity. After all, it is too straightforward and childishly naive at times. The older Stiller gets, the more mature, therefore the better. (20.11.2017)

Am Anfang war ich von Walters Vorstellungen unangenehm überrascht, weil sie mir zu krampfhaft und nicht besonders originell und witzig vorkamen (der Kampf mit dem Vorgesetzten war eine Qual). Ich hatte auch den Eindruck, dass man zu viele Tricks benutzt hat. Das trifft aber nicht auf seinen spanischen Polarforscher zu. Zum Glück hat das Drehbuch bald die Kurve gekriegt. Walter hat sich auf eine echte Reise begeben, bei der die Tricks Sinn machten, das Tempo langsamer und die Stimmung schöner wurde. Ben Stiller hat es (auch dank David Bowie) schließlich geschafft. Er hat einen von diesen Filmen gedreht, bei denen man als jemand, der in seinem Leben fast nirgendwo gewesen ist, denkt, wie schön es wäre, wenn das alles wirklich so funktionieren würde, und zufrieden lächelt. Und die beste Szene wird für mich immer der Kampf unter dem Röntgenapparat sein. (05.07.2015)

A cute Hollywood family fairy tale with laudable intentions, an outrageously likeable soundtrack and a great Ben Stiller in the cute leading role, but dramaturgically it’s strangely disjointed, unconvincing and dumbed down, exploring the imaginary border of fantasy and reality through the lens of a filmmaker who apparently can't decide which side to lean towards... The message is admittedly beautifully positive, but it can't make up for the awkward first impression. 65% (26.01.2014)

Gesehen bei der Challenge Tour - Film-Hunting: Aufgabe Nummer 21 - jeglicher Lieblingsfilm eines Lieblingsusers, dem du einen Punkt gegeben hast. Ich habe mich schon lange auf Walter Mitty gefreut und von allen Seiten nur Lob gehört. Ich weiß nicht, ob ich denselben Film gesehen habe wie alle anderen, aber ich habe mich von Anfang bis Ende fürchterlich gelangweilt und immer wieder bittend vorgespielt, bis ich davon so müde war, dass ich auf Island eingeschlafen bin. Inhaltlich und von der Pointe her aus allen möglichen anderen Filmen zusammengeklaubt, gegen Ende ein typisches "Made in USA“, vielleicht faszinieren wenigsten Musik und Szenerie, ansonsten eine große Null. Fans von Le Magnifique - Ich bin der Größte werden jubeln, für mich war es eine der größten Enttäuschungen des Jahres. (09.08.2015)

The shots of breathtaking scenery from various locations around the world had no particular effect on me. I get plenty of that in my mailbox. What I did like was how Walter became catatonic when daydreaming. That’s exactly what used to happen to me at work whenever there was a moment of inactivity, I even used to turn into a pilot. Ben Stiller has made an absolutely feel-good film, which put me in a really good mood. (14.08.2016)

Without that cheap romance, it would be an absolutely excellent film. However, it still got to me. "Walter Mitty and his mysterious life" is something I like. A guy who is initially uninteresting, but it turns out there is much more in him. Ben Stiller is great in this role in all aspects and he chose excellent actors as his collaborators who simply supported him. This is the kind of small big film that can touch your heart. It touched mine. (04.05.2014)

"Don't cheat on your lady, man, when you live in a country that only has eight people in it." A beautiful story about stepping out of your own shadow using dreams and real-life experiences. But the main character's escape from reality is so two-faced here. On the one hand, Walter's "secret life" pushes him towards bolder and more impulsive actions in reality, but due to the influence of his dream experiences, he sometimes fails to register important and crucial information in real life. Purely in terms of emotions transferred to the viewer, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is worth five stars in my book. But the final pathos (the highlight being Walter's extremely naive appeal to the humanity of the slimy manager) unfortunately brings the final rating down to a slightly weaker 4 stars. (15.08.2019)