The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013) review

I really didn’t know what to expect going into this film. I remember the first time I saw this film’s trailer back around late July or so; that was before I really knew anything about the movie so I my initial thoughts were somewhere along the lines of ‘what movie is this?’ because I truly didn’t know anything about it, not even the original story it was based on. Regardless, it did leave quite the first impression on me because it looked very interesting. That story in question is a short story of the same name from 1939 by author James Thurber and it is regarded as his best story. It had been made into a movie before back in 1947 starring Danny Kaye as the titular Walter. This one, which is coincidentally produced by the son of the producer of the ’47 film, Samuel Goldwyn, is directed by Ben Stiller who stars as Walter in this version. So like I said, I didn’t know what to expect, not just from the first trailer but especially after this film received a pretty mixed reception from critics. In the end though, this one ended up being a pleasant surprise for me, mostly because of how creative the film was. It may not be entirely perfect, but it was still pretty entertaining.

The titular Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) is a negative asset manager at Life Magazine. Walter, whose life is rather dull and uninteresting, frequently fantasizes of doing incredible things along with the hope of attracting the attention of one of his co-workers, Cheryl (Kristen Wiig). One day, renowned photographer Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) sends Walter a special photograph that, according to him, captures the ‘Quintessence’ of the magazine. That photo in question, he suggests, should be used for the final issue of the magazine, as the company is set to move into the online business. However, that photo is nowhere to be found. Having never lost a photo in the sixteen years that he has been working for the company, Walter heads off on an adventure to find O’Connell in hopes of finding the photo, finally experiencing some excitement for the first time in his life.

This film really benefits from being very creative, mainly through some of the fantasies that Walter has in the movie. I mean I certainly wasn’t expecting one of his fantasies to parody ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ but aside from that, a lot of his fantasies (which are mainly in the first half of the film, which makes sense considering that he ultimately does go off on a real adventure) are very interesting; one of them even reminded me of those fights between Peter Griffin and the giant Chicken on ‘Family Guy’ (I won’t reveal the details of the fantasy that ‘parodies’ those scenes but if you see the movie, you’ll know what I’m talking about). This is also one of the best-looking films of the year in regards to its cinematography; there are plenty of landscape shots in this film and overall the film just looks really nice. This is Stiller’s first effort as a director that’s not primarily a ‘comedy’, but while the film does have a more serious tone to it than his other films, there’s still a pretty good amount of comedy in the film, like these multiple phone calls that Walter has with a customer service rep from eHarmony, played by funnyman Patton Oswalt.

Ben Stiller does a very good job in the lead role. He gives the character of Walter a very down-to-earth personality even when considering the fact that he has frequent fantasies. You do get the sense of what kind of person he is; someone that is sort of a ‘nobody’ who dreams of one day being someone and in that regard, he is pretty relatable. He has a really nice chemistry with Kristen Wiig whose character, like Stiller’s, also has a realistic and sensible personality. Their relationship feels real and that is really the key to a successful movie romance. Sean Penn, in a rather brief role, also does a very good job as well. His character has a very laid-back and zen-like attitude and while I’ll admit that I’m no expert in photography, I have a feeling that’s how most photographers would be like. The rest of the cast of characters are a bit more over-the-top, like Adam Scott as Walter’s new ‘jerk’ boss at Life or Oswalt as that eHarmony employee, but not really to the point that it negatively affects the movie itself.

This was one of those films that left me guessing going into it because I didn’t know what to expect from it after seeing the original trailer and seeing the film’s rather mixed critical reception. But in the end, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ turned out to be a really nice surprise because of how good it ended up being. While more serious in tone than most of Stiller’s directorial work, this film benefits from having a good amount of humor in it and is both creative and one of the best-looking films of the year. Sure, maybe the writing is not as polished as it wants to be but the movie overcomes that just from its imaginative premise. The main characters do feel real even when some of the supporting characters are a bit more exaggerated. All in all, this is a film that I do recommend; it may not be entirely perfect, but it is still very entertaining. You can’t fault this film for being ambitious.

Rating: 4/5

Oz The Great and Powerful (2013) review

We all know the classic that is 'The Wizard of Oz', the 1939 masterpiece starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, a young farm girl who is whisked away to the magical world of Oz by way of a tornado. There have actually been multiple adaptations of author L. Frank Baum's 'Wizard of Oz' series. In fact, there were 10 other adaptations that came out before the one we all know and love and there were many more after that. In 1985, Disney made a 'sequel', 'Return to Oz'. While the film was neither a critical or box office hit, it has since gotten a cult following due to its much darker tone. Now, Disney is back with another 'Oz' film, 'Oz: The Great and Powerful', a prequel focusing on the Wizard of Oz and directed by Sam Raimi. Does Raimi's take on the story succeed? Yes, it does. Not to sound cliché here, but 'Oz the Great and Powerful' is really a great movie, with terrific visuals, a superb cast, and a well-written story.

In Kansas, a magician in a traveling circus named Oscar Diggs (James Franco) dreams of becoming a great man like Thomas Edison or Harry Houdini, even though he's really nothing more than a womanizing con-man. One day, as Oscar escapes from an angry circus performer via hot air balloon, he is caught in a tornado and winds up in the magical land of Oz. There, he learns that the people of Oz have been waiting for a 'Great and Powerful' wizard who will save them from the evil of the Wicked Witch. Oscar takes up the job, despite the fact that he's not exactly the Wizard Oz has been waiting for, and soon gets caught up in a conflict amongst the three witches of the land; Glinda (Michelle Williams), Theodora (Mila Kunis), and Evanora (Rachel Weisz). Not only must Oscar prove to them that he truly is 'the Wizard', but he must also prove it to himself as well.

In terms of visuals, 'Oz The Great and Powerful' is one of the best looking films I've ever seen. Out of all of Disney's recent $200 million March releases, this is miles better above the rather dark and grim lands in 'Alice in Wonderland' and the bland Mars landscapes in 'John Carter'. This is also one of those rare instances where it is worth it to see the film in 3-D, as the world of Oz is a visual treat for the eyes. But visuals aren't everything; what about the story? Well, the writing is actually really solid, most notable in the portrayal of 'the Wizard'. He has a solid story arc, as he changes from the womanizing con-man, who's also kind of a jerk, that he was at the beginning of the film to the kind and noble 'Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz'. Even by prequel standards, Raimi doesn't go the cheap route and instead makes subtle nods to the original film which work out much better than some other prequels.

There's also not a single bad performance from anyone in this film. Even those who some were saying gave the movie a 'high-school' vibe, namely James Franco and Mila Kunis, did really good jobs. Admittedly, Kunis probably is the weakest link out of the whole cast, but that's more when her character Theodora transforms into a certain character (one that the internet already spoiled but I won't do the same here) but she still does a great job. Franco also does a great job as 'the Wizard' and does bring the right attitude for the role of Oscar. The two standouts here would have to be Rachel Weisz, who's clearly having a lot of fun in the role of bad girl Evanora, and Michelle Williams, who perfectly captures the sweet and kind personality of Glinda. Finally, we also have solid performances from two of the side characters; Zach Braff as Finley the flying monkey, who gets some of the best lines, and Joey King as the China Girl, who's just cute as a button.

So, in the end, is 'Oz the Great and Powerful' as great as the original 1939 film? Probably not, but do I even need to explain how much of a classic that film was because I'm pretty sure we all know that by now. For what it's worth, Sam Raimi delivers what is easily the best Oz film since that film. Even amidst the breathtaking visuals, the story is still solid, the cast is terrific, and Raimi doesn't cop out when it comes to the film being a 'prequel' to the original film. It's also one of those rare films where it is worth the extra money to see it in 3-D because Raimi utilizes it much greater than most films that are just converted to 3-D in post-production just because studios want to make more money. Critics have been rather split on this film, but as for me, this is the first film this year that I highly recommend because in all aspects, it is a well-made film.

 

Rating: 5/5!

Jack the Giant Slayer (2013) review

A genre that has recently been all the rage in Hollywood are retellings/updates of classic fairy tales. Last year, there were two 'Snow White' themed films ('Mirror Mirror' and 'Snow White and the Huntsman') and earlier this year there was 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters', a film that was delayed about a year before it finally hit theaters in the dead month of January. The latest film of this 'genre', 'Jack the Giant Slayer', is another film that was pushed back from an earlier release date. Originally titled 'Jack the Giant Killer', this Bryan Singer-helmed fantasy film, based off of both the Cornish fairytale of the same name as well as 'Jack and the Beanstalk', was originally supposed to hit theaters in the summer of 2012 but was pushed back to March 2013 in order to give the filmmakers more time for post-production and marketing. It was also renamed 'Jack the Giant Slayer', most likely to reach out to a wider audience. But how about the film itself?

 

Like in the fairy-tales it is based on, the film follows the titular Jack (Nicholas Hoult), a young farmhand living with his uncle. One day, when Jack goes to the nearby kingdom in order to sell his horse to earn money, he receives some beans from a monk in exchange for the horse, who warns him 'not to get them wet'. Later that night, he is visited by Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson), the princess who Jack 'rescued' earlier that day in the kingdom. Soon enough, the beans get wet and a giant beanstalk emerges from the ground, and Isabelle is dragged up it while Jack is left behind. In response, he joins forces with the King's elite guard, led by Elmont (Ewan McGregor) on a mission to find the princess. However, it turns out that this beanstalk serves as the gateway between the human world and a world of giants, who are keen on conquering the mortals below.

The best way I can describe this film as a whole is that if you don't go in with very high expectations, then you will have a better time with it. That is because, when you look at it, Jack the Giant Slayer has a fairly simple story. It's your basic tale of an unexpected hero who fights enemies and saves the princess that has been done before. So, that means that the movie is at a disadvantage because you can kind of tell what's going to happen. Still, despite that, the movie is very entertaining. It could have used a bit more humor though as the humor that is there in the film is really nothing more than a couple of cheap one-liners and puns. It also doesn't help that most of the giants' (except Bill Nighy, who plays one-half of a two-headed giant) actions are mostly played for laughs. They pick their nose, fart, burp, and so on. They're not really as threatening as the filmmakers want them to be.

But on the bright side, the cast does a solid job, especially Nicholas Hoult as Jack, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors having already done a great job earlier this year in 'Warm Bodies'. Like in that movie, here he is charming, engaging, and very likable. The other two main leads, Tomlinson as Isabelle and McGregor as Elmont, are also very engaging and likable and Hoult and Tomlinson have solid chemistry. Finally, Stanley Tucci steals the spotlight whenever he's on screen as the villainous Roderick. Probably the only member of the cast who's rather underused is Ian McShane as the King, who's not given much to do until the end. So all in all, Jack the Giant Slayer may be a simple story, but the film is backed up by a enthusiastic cast and is entertaining to the point where you'll enjoy it. But like I said, don't go in expecting too much because otherwise you are not going to like it. I'm still not a big fan of all of these new updates to classic fairy tales, but out of all that I have seen so far, this one is the best.

Rating: 4/5