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Plot: What’s it about?
Marketing can often make or break a film. I bring this up because IF (short for imaginary friend) highlighted the big purple creature you’ve probably seen in the ads, making this look like a lighthearted, live-action family film. That is something that we don’t see as much of anymore. And while it certainly features those elements, the film has a much stronger emotional core than one might expect. Also, it has star, Ryan Reynolds at the heart of it, though his role is not as substantial as many may expect. I won’t reveal too much when I get into the body of this review, but it may elicit some tears from a lot of viewers. On a side note: I do find it rather amusing that this year saw the release of another film called Imaginary. While that is a much different film, it does feature an imaginary friend as well.
We’re introduced to a 12-year-old named Bea (Cailey Fleming) whose mother dies of cancer. As if that weren’t enough, her father played by Joun Krasinski (who also directs the film) is having heart surgery. This can be a lot for such young girl to take in, and there’s always the fear of something going wrong with the operation. Bea is forced to stay with her grandmother Margaret (Fiona Shaw) in the meantime. Before long, Bea discovers several imaginary friends. They are staying in a room where her grandmother lives and their keeper, if you will, is Cal (Ryan Reynolds). It seems strange that a man is tuckered away in an attic type space with some imaginary friends, but I digress. Bea hopes to find these Ifs some new friends since they have been abandoned.
I am hardly “that guy” but I did guess the twist early on about a main character. To be fair, maybe it isn’t meant to be a twist at all, but I certainly caught it. There was just something odd about the whole situation. The cast is talented here, but I find it a bit wrong of the filmmakers to put so much on our lead character. After losing her mother, the film could’ve had the father maybe go away for a business trip to leave Bea on her own, rather than present yet another sad hurdle for her to face. That felt not just tacky, but a bit much. There are moments in the film that get so carried away with the characters singing and dancing, that they felt endless after a while. It’s these moments that hurt the film in the long run. It had me at times but lost me at others. This is one strange film, but I’m sure it has its fan base.
Video: How’s it look?
The 1.85:1 4K transfer was quite pleasing to my eyes. Colors and all had the expected pop. The darkness issue I have with a lot of 4K presentations wasn’t as apparent here either. It is certainly a pleasing film visually, so the transfer presented things in a more than acceptable manner.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The Dolby Atmos track also satisfied as it checked the expected boxes. Vocals were crisp, but also the busy soundtrack added the right amount of zip to kick this up a notch. There are some loud moments in the film that bring the track to life. I didn’t personally care for these moments in the film, but as far as the presentation here goes, that part satisfies.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The Imagination Behind IF—Hear from writer and director John Krasinski plus the cast and crew as they dive deeper into the process of bringing their imagination to life on screen.
- Imagining Imaginary Friends— Take a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of each imaginary friend.
- Giving IFs a Voice— Meet the all-star cast responsible for voicing each character. Hear from Steve Carrell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and more!
- Blending The Real and the Imaginary— Join John Krasinski as he incorporates a practical filmmaking approach to make the imaginary feel real.
- Tina Turner Forever! — Experience the reimagining of the iconic 80s Tina Turner music video as John Krasinski recreates this legendary sequence with the IFs.
- The Imaginative World of IF— From Brooklyn Heights to Coney Island, go behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew and experience the magic of New York City like never before.
- Gag Reel— You won’t have to imagine the hilarious antics on set once you check out this gag reel!
- Learn to Draw Blue from IF— Learn to draw the loveable and cuddly “Blue” in this fun, interactive tutorial.
The Bottom Line
IF remains a mixed bag in my eyes. I appreciate the heart and not trying too hard to be cynical, but I also think it strays and meanders too often to be truly memorable. I also didn’t like how it made things a bit too much on the young lead. With the loss of her mother, and the father going through health issues, just seems like overkill. Still, for the young ones, there may be enough here to justify a rental. I’m fine with a single viewing.
