IF Review: Emotionally Heartfelt Family Fun

John Krasinski writes, directs, produces, and stars in IF, a fantasy comedy movie about a young girl named Bea (Cailey Fleming) who begins to see people’s imaginary friends (or IFs for short). Accompanied by a neighbor named Cal (Ryan Reynolds), she sets out to reunite the IFs with the kids who had previously abandoned them. Krasinski is a shining example of an actor-turned-director who has managed to create an incredible career. His previous two movies were the A Quiet Place films, which were dark horror thrillers. Krasinski is now making the polar opposite: a funny, emotionally heartfelt family adventure that is sure to please children and parents alike.

From the opening Paramount Pictures logo animated like a child’s drawing, you can see the exact type of film Krasinski wants to create. IF is an ode to childhood and the magic of our imaginations. While the movie depicts the happy stories we tell ourselves throughout our youth, it doesn’t shy away from the sadder ones too. Our main character is Bea, whose mom has passed away. She visits her father in the hospital as he is about to get heart surgery. Krasinski portrays Bea’s Dad and he brings a lot of charisma. Although he is about to get surgery, he is dedicated to making his daughter laugh and bring fun and joy into her life, even if she feels like she’s outgrown it.

Bea is the character we latch onto. We see the world through her eyes and are almost always in her perspective. She puts on a brave face and accepts the sadness that comes with life, creating a strong contrast between her and her father. IF has a strong sense of the little moments that make kids kids, while also finding ways to take those moments and flip them on their heads. One moment does a great job of featuring the frightening feeling of tiptoeing around the room, trying to make as little noise as possible and avoid stepping on the toys on the floor.

We are first introduced to the imaginary friends through a butterfly named Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and a large fuzzy purple creature named Blue (Steve Carell). From Blue’s first scene, he is sure to be a favorite with the kids. Carell and Krasinski previously worked together on The Office, and their prior work together allows Krasinski to direct perfection out of Carell. He is so funny using only his voice. Blue is also such a good-natured character who nearly always has a smile on his face.

Krasinski also manages to make the New York City setting a key aspect of the movie. Cal and Bea take the subway to Coney Island, a place that many people from NYC have nostalgia for from their childhoods. They enter the world of the IFs, and we get a sense of the beautiful world Krasinski and his production designers crafted. He wants to emulate the feeling of stepping into Hogwarts or Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for the first time. It pays off very well as we get many inventive ideas bursting with personality and vibrance. The best moment is when Bea lets her imagination run wild, launching Cal into a wild ride all throughout the environment through dimensions, locations, and outfits.

IF lives or dies in the hands of a child lead performance. Fleming steps up to the plate beautifully. She gets to be funny, but there are many dramatic moments that demand a lot from her, particularly towards the ending. She knocks it out of the park with a multifaceted performance that deserves endless praise. Reynolds is also phenomenal in this film. He’s gained a reputation over the past few years for playing the same wisecracking smartass in all his movies. But with this role, Reynolds taps into a PG charm that appears in the vein of Gene Wilder as Wonka. He’s charming and fun to watch, especially when playing off of the imaginary friends. Cal is typically the more mature straight man in these outlandish comedic situations. It’s very different from the brash R-rated humor in most of his work, including this summer’s upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine, and he is making it look effortless.

IF feels a lot like a live-action Pixar movie. Like those movies, we have whimsical wonder and colorful characters, but everything is grounded in a deeper, more emotional story. Michael Giacchino, who previously scored Pixar movies like Up, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, brings a lot of those fun mannerisms here. Krasinski also teams with Steven Spielberg’s go-to cinematographer, Janusz Kamiński, to create a gorgeous-looking movie. On a technical level, the imaginary friends are brought to life with visual effects that manage to be both cartoonish and photorealistic.

The issue with this movie is the fact that the main narrative running through it all can be a bit flimsy. Although each scene is excellent, Bea’s goal to reunite the IFs with their kids feels inconsequential in the long run. Although she succeeds here and there, the story seems unfocused in it. The film needed much higher stakes for what would happen if she failed at her goal. Instead, it’s just a goal that exists throughout the second act and feels insignificant by the time the third act rolls around. There are many emotions flying around this film, but the strongest subplot surrounds Bea and her dad. But since Bea’s dad plays virtually no role in the main plot surrounding imaginary friends, it falls a bit flat. A few characters could have used some more development and the resolution for many of the characters isn’t as satisfying as it should be. There’s a slightly better movie simmering just beneath the surface of what we have.

Despite a few narrative issues, IF is the must-see family movie of the year. It’s absolutely adorable and features wonderful, wholesome moments, particularly during the teary-eyed final act. You’ll laugh, cry, and reminisce about the simplicity of childhood and the beauty of the limitless bounds of our imagination.

SCORE: 8/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our IF review.

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