The story of a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.
- Released: 2024-05-22
- Runtime: 104 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Comedy, Fantasy
- Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Louis Gossett Jr., Bobby Moynihan, Alan Kim, Steve Carell, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Vince Vaughn, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Sebastian Maniscalco, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Meloni, Awkwafina, Jon Stewart, Liza Colón-Zayas
- Director: John Krasinski
Comments
- rupertwalker - 1 July 2024
Missed the mark a lot
First impressions: she's clearly not 12 years old (the actor) and it was hard to imagine she is in any way at all. She mainly looks like a young passing 18 year old. When she says "I'm not a kid anymore" that was ironically the most grounded line in the script.
Secondly what kind of millionaire middle class tripe is this? Sorry John but the days of the average family living in a house like that are far gone. There's no true sense of existential struggle at all. This feels like a throwback to the 90s with none of the satire that could be adequately explored with a modern lens.
Overall it's a neat concept but so poorly executed. Don't even get me started on the bland score either. Ryan Reynolds deserves a better role, and just because Krasinski wrote it he needs to realise he's sub-par at this level. - stefanomoretta - 28 June 2024
Simply magical
I decided to watch IF knowing that John Krasinski was the director as I loved some of his work so far, but even tho I was still a little bit sceptical because the movie looked fun from the trailer but I was worried that it was a kid-only movie.
I couldn't be more wrong!
The movie is, in fact, very deep and I found it extremely related to me as an adult and probably even more than if I was still a child. The end is simply sensational and I dare anyone of you to keep tears.
John said that he made this movie for his daughters and watching the movie you can actually see that is not a normal movie but hase lot of love and a heart in it, something very rare nowadays.
DEFINITELY A MUST SEE. - tavismelvin-10207 - 25 June 2024
Makes no sense, maybe I have no IF
It was very predictable. I was excepting something that was going to make you feel happy, sad. I feel like it missed the mark but missed it by alot. Acting was great and is what is expected from a movie with actors like these. I don't understand the whole concept of the movie. Believe in a little imagination? We all have a IF in life that we forgot? Don't be so serious about life ?? I don't know. It left me scratching my head with what they were trying to get across. It had some cute moments but the whole movie and plot felt very pointless. Not sure how this was even made. Can't dis it too much because it was fun to watch but it's like a movie that goes straight to streaming and not theaters. It's a one time watch for me. - longcooljolie - 18 June 2024
It gets even better on a second viewing
When I told a friend I had seen the movie "IF," he wanted to know what it was about. I said that "IF" stands for imaginary friend and that it's about the relationship imaginary friends have with their "kids." Beyond that simple nutshell description of John Krasinski's movie, though, it's very effective since it is a family film that all members of the family can enjoy, even grandma and grandpa!
Very often, family movies or movies geared toward children seem to have taken a page out of the Marvel Comics universe with their non-stop action, sight gags, and screwy situations. "IF" unfolds nice and slowly, giving the viewer time to get to know and care for both the real and the imaginary characters.
The story revolves around a 12-year-old girl, Bea, who is on a trip to Brooklyn to stay with her grandmother while her father (John K.) is having surgery on his heart although the details are left out. Through a clever and touching montage at the beginning, we learn that Bea had lost her mother shortly before. She has resigned herself to move on from her childhood but she will soon meet Calvin and Blossom, who will change her world forever.
Yes, they're imaginary characters, even though Calvin (Ryan Reynolds) appears to be a normal man about the same age as Bea's father. They both enlist Bea in a quest to get imaginary friends to reconnect with their "kids," and that's when things shift into high gear. This occurs about halfway through, when Bea and Calvin visit a "retirement home" for imaginary friends and reality shifts like a kaleidoscope and Bea ends up as part of a stunning dance number along with real musicians and imaginary friends of all types.
The list of actors and actresses portraying the imaginary friends contains several surprises, so they will go unnamed here so as not to spoil things for those who have yet to see it. The ending also provides a wonderful, touching payoff, and like me and many other reviewers on IMDB, you may end up having a nice, joyful cry.
Along with Cailey Fleming, who was perfect and adorable as Bea, Ryan Reynolds taps into his inner "Charlie Chaplin" to bring the whimsical aspects of Calvin to life in the way he interacts with the other imaginary friends. This elevates the movie above other recent attempts to combine live action with animated characters.
In all, "IF" is a wonderful experience for both you and your inner child and also possibly for your own long lost imaginary friend! - Quethinks - 11 June 2024
A kids film that has subpar script and poorly executed concepts but has a heart deep down somewhere
IF directed and written by John Krasinski who is mostly known for The Office and directing A Quiet Place is his next movie and IF is a movie about Forgotten Imaginary Friends trying to find new owners as a cynical child wants to be a kid but doesn't know how that when Ryan Reynolds shows her some imaginary friends that need her help.
This movie is pretty basic with emotional moments but doesn't take full control of it, which on paper is pretty soils and could be fun, but this movie doesn't really deliver on it.
Before the review, I must say yes this is very similar to foster home for imaginary friends with that show being imaginary friends without kids to take care of them. Now, do I think John Krasinski stole the idea and tried to marketed as his own? No, personally I think he took inspiration from it and decided to take some creative liberates with his movie and I think the movie separates itself enough from the show to be it own thing.
Let start off with the positives, of which there are a few. First, I like the designs of the imaginary friends. I think there all unique, and I like how they all look different from each other and how their own personally design to them with Blue being this giant purple furry creature but Blossom being this retro old school cartoon character, so that was fun to watch also I think the voice actors play well of each other with them cast having good chemistry. I also think Ryan Reynolds is good as Cal, with him just being so done with the IFs shenanigans and just wanting to find them a new home immediately as soon as he can.
I also think the movies emotional beats work with the plot kinda shifting in the third act with the goal of the movie goal now being to find the grown up version of the imaginary friends owners to make them remember so that the adult can get connect with the inner self and feel like a kid again with Blossom owner being Bea grandma and Blue being a man name Jeremy, and it was heartwarming to see the grandma be a kid again and dance in her apartment and for Blue to touch and Jeremy and make him remember his childhood and make him feel less stress for his job interview.
I also think the message is good as well, with the film saying that it okay and even healthy to get to connect with your inner child sometimes, especially if life has been hard for you. However, the film doesn't comment on that too much nostalgia and infantilization can also be bad for you too.
This film isn't perfect thought and definitely has flaws. For example, the twist is hugely predictable with you seeing it coming a mile away, which sucks since I think the movie didn't really need that twist since it doesn't really change the film and, honestly, make the little girl look insane throughout the film.
I also have to mention that the film switches plots in the third act for which was a way better plot than the main plot they were marketing throughout the trailers and had me more interested in the film, but it only took up 20 minutes in the runtime.
I also think the John Krasinski character was kind of useless with him being a self insert of some sort with him being in the hospital and him not really caring about his kid with him pulling pranks on her and having her think he escaped the hospital and just being a nuance to the staff he just seemed like a jerk, so I didn't really care when he had an emergency and Bea told him a story to wake him up.
This film also doesn't really use the imaginary friends concept to it full potential with the best scenes of the movie being Bea and Cal going under Coney Island to go to the imaginary friends headquarters to try to friend the oldest IF and I think that best scene because how creative it is with a cat watching television and an emotional support group of lost imaginary friends.
Nonetheless, apart from that, the fictional companions remain in the background, being utilized for brief comical scenes throughout the film. The actual narrative revolves around Bea's attempts to be a child and lead a fulfilling life, despite her lack of knowledge on how to do so. While that is a commendable character development, the film overly emphasizes the fictional companions and fails to effectively integrate the two elements.
In summary, IF is an acceptable children's film that features amusing and poignant scenes that appear authentic and not authentic and sentimental. Also, the concept of imaginary friends finding new owners works on paper, but how they executed in the film is a disappointing mess. I would recommend waiting for IF to come out streaming so you can save money and watch a solid kids movie with some heart.
