IF

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)

This was a visually stunning and whimsical movie. It had a star studded cast with Ryan Reynolds, John Krazinski and Steve Carell. In fact it could have done without a star playing the dad I thought, as this detracted from the emotional opening scene. The movie felt boring at times for the first two-thirds, despite the interesting concept of the story; I think it lacked suspenseful direction in the plot development. Ryan Reynolds had about three great funny moments, all of which are in the trailer, and it's a shame he wasn't able to bring a bit more of this well known personality into the film throughout. The last third was definitely the highlight of the movie and did get more exciting and definitely heightened the emotion of the movie.

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.

I am 70 years old and my wife is right there with me. My childhood was filled with movies that entertained, made you sad, made you happy, and sometimes really made you think. Seems like lately, movies have dropped the "entertaining" part in order to lecture you on a variety of social issues. It's still possible to find movies that do what movies were supposed to do but they are rarely from the major studios (Unsung Hero, Arthur the King, The Shift).

However, what a delight THIS movie is.... It makes you run the gamut of emotions from sadness to anticipation to thinking you know what's going to happen to having your heart warmed :)

We absolutely loved this movie and will probably see it again before it leaves the theater.

On a side note, I continue to be amazed by these young actors who can display such a wide range of emotions. Much like Alisha Weir in Abigail, Cailey Fleming absolutely nailed the role.

If you want a family friendly movie to take your kids to, this one is it!

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.