Dreamers can live a solitary existence, their greatest works performing to an audience of one. Walter Mitty attempts to break that notion through expensive effects and a can-do attitude.

Regrettably, the first act stutters as Mitty’s dream sequences pique interest for polarized reasons: some excite and dazzle, others are forgettable and frustrating with no clarity as to where reality ends and the dream begins.

It is only when our protagonist heads out into the world that the film and our lead come to life. Beautifully shot and increasingly enchanting, the film’s unabated positivity will eventually envelop you in its uplifting and warming conclusion.

He may be a dreamer but he’s not the only one. Stiller delivers an enjoyable take on the modern man’s existential crisis, aided greatly by stunning cinematography. The film’s weaker moments arise when it becomes overly impressed by its own achievements.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, Sean Penn and Patton Oswalt

DIRECTOR: Ben Stiller

WRITER: Steve Conrad

SYNOPSIS: A day-dreamer escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job, along with that of his co-worker, is threatened, he takes action in the real world and embarks on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.