MovieChat Forums > The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) Discussion > Incredible UNDER UNDER UNDER rated movie...

Incredible UNDER UNDER UNDER rated movie. Ben, let's do it again.


The critics really irritate me. Is it because they have never traveled? This was an incredible adventure movie. It's definitely one of Ben Stiller's best if not his absolute best! Ben, let's do it again.

Remember when the critics called The Beach a bad movie and now so many people who hadn't watched it when it came out think it is one of the director's best. SLWM is better.

I recently came across it again while looking up the music for the longboard scene in Iceland. Absolute masterpiece of a movie.
This movie deserves a rerating. It's one of the very very few movies I can watch over and over again because even though I know how it turns out it continues to evoke a certain level of joy and inspiration for the watcher.

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Years ago I read a convincing post (on IMDB?) that the entire movie is just the product of the character's imagination.

I can't remember the gist of the argument but I think they referenced the skateboarding scene specifically. It annoyed me because:

i. their case was so convincing that I had to admit to the possibility that they were right; and

ii. because I really enjoyed this movie too and they took that away from me. :(

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Yeah I saw that post too, and the reality of it is that's how the original Walter Mitty had been so that's where that poster was coming from. This is why in the beginning of Stiller's movie they threw some fantastic make believe scenes into it and showed how he was really daydreaming as a nod to the original. However, Stiller put a new twist on his version. He basically stated that Walter Mitty was sick of day dreaming about doing amazing things and it happened to coincide with his work that required him to do something amazing, hunt down the photographer who had misplaced a key negative that meant everything that could have saved his company from demise. So the requirement of his job comingling with his inner need to do something super-significant gave him the permission to pursue those dreams and make them real. So I say in Stiller's movie it was real, because it was all part of the job. In the end, spoiler alert, well I cannot say the spoiler because it has to do with what was really significant all along. Can't ruin the movie for those who haven't watched it. But no early on what Mitty dreamt about wasn't real, obviously, but what he did as a requirement of the job turned out to be very real.

And I'll make it more real for you. Ben Stiller made it that way because having had enough experience in life himself by the time he made that movie, he knew sometimes, though very rarely, this is really what happens in real life, to go above and beyond the call of duty is required of us.

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I remember really enjoying it.

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Critics never irritate me. I make up my own mind.

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It's one of those movies that I should have liked, even loved, and there's only one reason I didn't... Ben Fucking Stiller!

Seriously, if someone else had been cast in the lead I'd have worshipped this movie, and cried tears of pure vicarious joy at the skateboard scene. But since this vicious little weasel with four legs was in every damn shot, I couldn't get into it.

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What the hell? Why don't you like Ben Stiller? I think it suits him perfectly, because well he's relating to just about everyone his age. I'm a several years younger than him but still thought hell yeah.

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Ben Stiller has a mean and angry vibe, he isn't very funny, he isn't a good actor, he usually makes crap movies, he has a career because of nepotism, he's rumored to be a massive jerk in real life, and he reminds me of a vicious little weasel.

If you like him fine, enjoy the bad movies. But he's always rubbed me the wrong way.

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Absolutely! My family went to see this movie the Christmas it came out, and I loved it. I'm teacher and we read the short story and watched the movie, and the kids loved it as well.

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its pretty good , not as good as underrated Greenberg

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