“IF” stars Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., and Steve Carell. Released on May 17, 2024, the film is about a young girl who gains the power to see people’s imaginary friends. The film was written and directed by John Krasinski, who also directed “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men”, “The Hollars”, and “A Quiet Place”. Friends come and go as we grow older, especially ones that are more imaginative than others. But what do these kinds of friends do when their young pals move on with their lives? Why, they reunite with them, of course, as if that wasn’t obvious enough. Following Blumhouse’s failed attempt at portraying the dark side of imaginary friends, we now have a movie that displays this similar concept as it was meant to represent: family-friendly and cuddly. This latest fantasy comedy seeks to liven up the summer movie season for families with its cheerful concept and big stars and heighten Krasinski’s directorial career outside his not-so-friendly projects, including the “Quiet Place” movies. Was it imaginative enough to kickstart this year’s summer of family-friendly material, or are we better off leaving our childhoods behind? Let’s find out. The story centers on Bea (Fleming), a young girl living in a New York apartment with her grandmother (Shaw) while her father (Krasinski) is in the hospital. One day, Bea unexpectedly gains the ability to see imaginary friends (“IFs” for short), including a kind-hearted purple creature named Blue (Carell) and a humanoid butterfly named Blossom (Waller-Bridge). She also discovers that her neighbor, Cal (Reynolds), has that same ability. When she learns that the IFs have been abandoned by the kids they helped, Bea joins Cal to help the imaginative creatures reunite with their former childhood friends. Out of the two movies involving imaginary friends this year, “IF” is, unsurprisingly, my most anticipated. It’s not just because of its kid-friendly concept and cast of big stars. Seriously, there are a lot of familiar names attached to this project. It’s unbelievable. It’s also due to the film’s writer/director, John Krasinski, who’s made a big name for himself as a filmmaker thanks to the “Quiet Place” movies. Krasinski delivered some of the best horror movies ever due to his approach to the tension and teen-rated frights. However, it’s also the heart and compelling drama that made “A Quiet Place” stand out from other modern horror movies, making Krasinski a fitting choice to helm a family-friendly feature about imaginary friends. Here’s hoping Michael Sarnoski can copy that success with the upcoming "Quiet Place" prequel. But, as usual, it all comes down to the concept’s execution to ensure their talents don’t go to waste, as most live-action/CGI hybrids aimed at families don’t do as well for critics and picky audiences, especially ones based on source materials. It does have one advantage, though, and that’s its originality. But does that make for a solid piece of family entertainment? Yes, but it’s not without its issues that falter its imaginative potential. Regarding its concept, “IF” does its job of offering imagination and wonder in its cuddly and utterly charming characters and visuals. However, if there’s one major thing you should know before jumping to conclusions, it’s that the movie isn’t all sunshine and rainbows as the marketing made it out to be. The trailers showcased “IF” as another cute and fantastical family-friendly adventure filled with vibrancy, magic, laughs, and imaginary friends. While the film contains some of those parts in the final cut, the real meat of the project is between those elements. "IF" can be best described as a fantasy drama featuring imaginary friends. It pays homage to the inner child in all of us and allows us to revisit the childhood memories that have shaped us, including the imaginary friends who made us feel safe and happy. The film also harkens back to the old-fashioned, family-friendly movies of the past, focusing on heartfelt storytelling rather than over-the-top antics and flashy spectacle. This is a bold move for Krasinski, especially at a time when kids are more drawn to fast-paced shenanigans and games on their moms' cell phones. While Krasinski is known for his heartfelt drama in specific genres, taking this direction in a kid-friendly concept is quite ambitious for him. Regarding his direction and Janusz Kamiński’s cinematography, John Krasinski provided a well-crafted and visually admiring depiction of child-like wonder that balances the heart with its comical sense of imagination. Unfortunately, despite my appreciation of Krasinski’s ambition, I can also admit that his direction has some disadvantages that make it fall short of its highest potential. As I mentioned, “IF” is more a fantasy drama than a straight-up comedy. This means it’s more focused on Bea’s attempt to act like a grown-up amid her father’s heart surgery instead of her hanging out with imaginary friends all the time. While I didn’t mind this approach most of the time, its inconsistent pacing can be a big turnoff for some kids with short attention spans. So, if you want your kids to be entertained by the purple furry creature, they have to survive most of the real-world stuff in between. The film offers sentimentality that honors its message favorably well, including the one sequence that made me tear up a bit. However, without providing more of its imagination and creativity in its world-building to back it up, the film just felt a bit empty throughout most of its runtime. Regarding the film’s ambitious mixture of comedy and heart, Krasinski proved himself worthy of the job. However, his screenplay also shows that his approach to narrative simplicity may not work for everyone. It provided an interesting take on imaginary friends through matchmaking and childhood memories, making for some clever ideas. Sadly, it didn’t quite reach that certain height to keep the younglings entertained amid its dramatic moments due to its unfocused and vague world-building and familiar narrative beats. There’s a matchmaking service for IFs inside a carousel, but that’s about it. It’s simple but not to the point that it’s creatively astounding. Fortunately, aside from Krasinski’s direction, “IF” provided enough decent moments to keep this wondrous experience from fading out of existence. One of them is its charming cast, which is chock full of big actors, whether it’s them voicing the IFs or playing the humans. Cailey Fleming first gained attention by portraying young Rey in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, and now, she has garnered a leading role in a film about imaginary friends almost a decade later. It’s pretty impressive how far she’s gotten since her small breakout role in an iconic sci-fi franchise, but does her talent translate well for her performance as the main lead? Yes, it does. Fleming did a suitable job capturing Bea’s mature yet sincere personality, depicting her struggles between being a grown-up and enjoying her childhood. Her performance should help Fleming garner more roles like this in the future. Ryan Reynolds placed his comedic chops aside for a surprisingly more nuanced performance as Cal, Bea’s grumpy neighbor, and the result was a decent change of pace for the actor. But, of course, I can’t forget about Steve Carell as Blue, who’s admittedly one of the movie’s highlights and the closest to having an “Office” reunion between him and Krasinski as we can get. Through his perky and kind-hearted personality, Carrell’s Blue is an adorable ball of furry fluff that gives me nothing but pure joy through his humor and heart, making him more than just a source of comic relief. Another element I was impressed with was the visual effects, which were responsible for bringing the IFs to life. The CGI for the IFs blends seamlessly together with the live-action environments and human characters, making them look and feel more humane than just cartoon characters designed for comedic purposes. More importantly, the visuals made the IFs unique and imaginative through their designs, especially Cosmo (Christopher Meloni), an energetic detective IF. I would also credit composer Michael Giacchino for providing another solid musical score that matches the film’s genuine emotion. Whether it’s for action movies or family-friendly content, Giacchino can do no wrong in delivering music that soothes the soul or even excites it. Overall, “IF” is a sweet and simplistic ode to childhood memories that occasionally struggles to match its imaginative concept with its genuine heart. John Krasinski provided a bold approach to the old-fashioned, family-friendly structure to reflect a more grounded and thematic depiction of its idea. While it wasn’t without its downsides disrupting my imagination, I admired his attempt at making it stand out from the other kid-friendly content through its tone. Regarding his hit-and-miss screenplay and uneven pacing, the film is a far cry from Krasinski’s “Quiet Place” movies. However, it’s still a suitable choice for families with older kids this summer, thanks to its talented cast, heartwarming message, compelling visuals, and ambitious direction. It’s no groundbreaking achievement in the family-friendly movie department, but it’ll surely make a believer out of you with the right mindset. B-
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