IF

IF had all the hallmarks of being a great family film and in the main it did not disappoint. There is humour, crazy characters and a unique and understandable plot. However, I did spend a lot of the film thinking it could have been better but not being able to put my finger on why. There are clearly moments when the jokes don't land like you might hope and some of the IF's are not given much screen time making the whole thing seem rushed. Despite this Reynolds is as watchable as ever and Cailey Fleming steals the show as Bea, a 12 year old girl just trying to find her way in life after the death of her mother. But at the core of the film is the heart of Krasinski and it seems that he is able to find that in whatever genre he turns to. There are moments that are genuinely moving in IF and if you're not wiping away a tear or two then maybe it is not one for you. All in all, a fun, family ride that, despite its faults creates a feeling of warmth and joy.

Went to see an early screening of IF with my wife and son last night. The cinema was practically empty with only a few other families there? The film despite being 2024 was not the modern fast constant attention providing obvious story that films have now often now become for children . IF slowly develops , it draws you into its world and developing your care or wonder about it's characters. That adults too became invested in this is a film for multi generation and works on more levels than expected.

Overall It hit and pleasently entertained the younger children but then something magical happened as the film developed towards it end. Without spoiling it I saw around me the adults rubbing tears from cheeks. Grandparents suddenly holding tighly hands closer and i got it . Well it got me ! This film started to evoke strong emotions about a child's film I had not felt since those Coco or the ending of AI or toy story 3 days. This film touches you.

The screenplay and cinematography are excellent I need to see it again but the layers of this film make it a U universal (suitable for all)

The advertising for this movie was weird. It focused on the funny moments, pushed it as a family movie, and even featured interviews with the main actors in commercials for the streaming release, as if to say "Hey, look, actors from The Office! You like them, right? Please watch our movie." After watching the movie, the advertising feels deceptive, and I think IF would be more well-liked if they promoted it as what it was: a sappy movie about finding your inner child.

To start, I'll say that anyone claiming this movie is a ripoff of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends is way off base. The comparison only makes sense because there aren't many other works about imaginary friends. The premise is similar, but the tone is completely different, and IF is more so about returning imaginary friends to their original owners.

As I mentioned, this movie is really sappy. It's sweet and heartfelt, and conveys the nostalgia of remembering your childhood imaginary friend. You might cry. It seems to be aimed mainly at adults. I enjoyed it as a 19-year-old, but other reviewers have mentioned that their young children got bored or found it too sad. The plot is weird. It's not a long movie, but at times it feels empty, slow-paced, or overly simple/childish. There were plenty of good moments, but it seemed to try to maintain a sweet and nostalgic tone for the entire film, which could get stale. It sometimes felt like the creators were challenged to string as many heartwarming moments together as possible with only a thin plot. Nonetheless, I didn't completely dislike it. The plot twist at the end is of note: it felt random at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more meaningful the rest of the film became in hindsight.

Overall, it was a bit disappointing, but it was nice to watch, and I think I'd watch it again. It felt like a sincere attempt at a good movie that fell a bit short, which is always better than a movie that's clearly just trying to make money. If you're looking for a comedy or a movie small children will like, you should skip it, but if you like sweet and sappy movies, I recommend it.

At the beginning, the movie took time to get rolling, but from the middle, the movie becomes very interesting. The mix of live action and animation is very well done, the characters are fun and the story is imaginative. I'll be clear here: Anyone crying out for a movie with an original idea should watch IF. IF is not based on anything and is not a movie from an existing franchise. The colors of this movie were gorgeous and I really liked the look and you are literally drawn into this imaginative world. To the actors, especially Ryan Reynolds, who played well with invisible characters in this case the IF's.

My youngest daughter wanted to see this, it has Ryan Reynolds in it, so I thought "what the heck". Man I did not anticipate that I would be a bumbling crying mess at the end of this film.

I wouldn't say this is a kids film, it's more of a film for adults who still have that child still inside of them, but they lost their way when they grew up and became adults. This is a movie for the child inside all of us, that still has that glimmer of hope.

John Krasinski seems like a big child, and that's basically what he was playing in here. I don't mean that in a negative way, I find it very endearing because you don't see that a lot anymore in people.

I really liked seeing the imagination of the little girl in here, but as I stated this is a HEAVY movie, so some things kids may not enjoy in here. When we got out of the movie I asked my daughter "did you like the movie?" and she said "yeah, it was funny and sad". I would have to agree with her assessment.

I would say that if you have a child that has trouble concentrating or sitting still, then they will be miserable in this. This is definitely targeted more for adults.