User reviews

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.

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.

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 must admit, the first half hour had me questioning if I was wasting my time. I was confused about the vast demographics the film was trying to appeal to. Maybe there could've been some improvements there.

Once the 2nd act started, I slowly started to find myself more and more invested in the characters. However, I was still questioning potential plot holes in the story and the films demographic.

During the 3rd act, it really tied itself together and started to make a lot more sense. I want to rewatch it knowing how well it ends, similar to a Christopher Nolan film. I'm curious what a child would think of this film because it deals with some adult themes and subject matter that only an adult would relate to. It isn't crude, it's very family friendly. A child might find it slow and boring at times. The moral of the film might go over a child's head but there's plenty of humour and subject matter aimed at children.

Overall, I was very impressed with this film, and I'll be watching it again. Take your kids to it. If they don't enjoy it now, it'll definitely have a completely different meaning to them in 10, 20, or 30 years. As an adult, you'll almost definitely enjoy it.

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.

Having read the preview in my movie magazine, the general plot reminded me of early 1990s movie classic 'Drop Dead Fred' with Rik Mayall.

But this time round, a colourful mix of childrens imaginary friends of all shapes sizes and textures seeking to reconnect for a childs affection.

Boosted by the voices to name a couple... Brad Pitt & Steve Carell.

Our eccentric leading man 'Ryan Reynolds' who leads these charming loveable characters reconnecting to their loyal companions of yester year, think Toy Story with Andy and his toys, but this time its the imaginary friends searching for someone to love them.

Director and star 'John Krasinski' playing a loving father supported by his young daughter, a movie that deals with Bereavement, how we cope and move forward, its harrowing and thoughr provoking, a light hearted movie that I think that when we watch it, we all had someone their to give us a squidge when needed.

Imaginary Friend is a movie likely to appeal to kids and some adults as well. I admit the movie has an interesting concept which could have been made a bit more interesting and happening than it turned out to be.

John Krasinski teamed up with his old pal Ryan to make this family friendly movie after A Quiet Place but the movie takes quite some time to take off and mashes up what could have been a more fun and action filled fantasy adventure rather than just an emotional rollercoaster.

Some of the IFs imaginary friends, although colorful and happy, could have been used a tad more and could have made this movie more adventurous and funnier than it turned out to be.

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!

Harmless and wholesome family fun. Pretty simple and heartfelt story for the kids. It has some great cast members mostly with the voiceovers but they are in it, not as much as I'd hoped but they are there. It's a very imaginative film with a few cool fantastical scenes, particularly the dance number in the imaginary place. Reynolds didn't really shine as much for his personality and wasn't as funny in this but still a good presence. Cailey (the girl) being from the walking dead too seems to be doing well for herself being put in a Krasinski and Reynolds movie. Sometimes the film lacks and the story gets weak in the middle but overall you can understand it. The ending is probably the best part as it has the most weight to it and emotion about what imaginary friends are and what they do and mean for us. Also a nice little surprise of an ending if you didn't see it coming. Overall just a good family film but could've been a bit better.

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)

IF is narratively chaotic in a way that hinders the pacing but it's also extremely wholesome and refreshingly original (in the literal sense). It has grand ambitions by merging a Spielberg homage about never truly growing up with an attempt to be a live action Pixar movie so even if John Krasinski falls short of these noble goals, he still ends up in a pretty good place.

With Ryan Reynolds doing a nice family version of his usual cynical quip machine and a bunch of A-list stars in small voice roles who are fun to recognise if nothing else, it's up to Cailey Fleming to bring all the emotions and really sell the sense of wonder which she achieves with ease. Also, John Krasinski casting himself as the dad avoids vanity thanks to how endearing he is.

Crafting a world of imagination isn't easy to do and John Krasinski's direction manages to come up with enough inventive moments to avoid feeling creatively inert. Michael Giacchino's score threatens to be overbearing without completely going there. There's barely a moment where it isn't present and it's got the sense of childlike wonder and adorably twee nature to pull it off.

I was expecting more. Great cast and promotion but the movie falls flat. It's very very slow in the beginning. The end was cute and heartwarming. Not much in the middle. Should have moved faster and been a little more funny. Depending on the day you could fall asleep in this movie.

Great idea but not put together well. I do not think children would like this movie. Maybe older kids. It barely kept my attention as an adult. Now that I reflect on this movie I'm not sure who the target market is. It's just an ok movie. Will maybe watch one more time with my kids at home when it hits streaming but I wouldn't waste money seeing it in theaters.

This film was advertised as a very creative kids animated movie, and it is that in parts, but very slow and lots of drama, perhaps more for Parents? Parents, bring tissues, you will cry. Folks who arent parents might not get much out of this. Problem I have with this film; What grandparent would let a 12 year old go to Coney Island every day solo from Manhatten, without communicating until dinner time?!? There is not one phone in this film, Not in this day and age. Some parts of this film are very trippy, well animated, and when its in that zone it is super fun, but it gets back to drama, and there are parents both dying and sick, and it is a tearjerker at 3 points in the film, including the opening credits. Young kids will be bored, preteens will be entertained enough. I asked my 11 year old if he ever had an imaginary friend and he said no, I said me neither. He said it wasnt bad but he was expecting more animation. This could have been better with less hospital and more roger rabbit style scenes. They made a high budget well made drama with excellent cgi animation. It has lots of Heart, 6/10.

Really hoped that this would become known as a family classic. I took two thirteen year old boys and both thought it was average at best. Effects are good but there was a serious lack of jokes. A film that will not live long in the memory. Cast is great, film also looks great but there was no sense of excitement at any point. Quite flat throughout the whole film. Felt like the film is aimed at children under ten but I think that age group will also struggle as it just has no magic. Needed alot more jokes, less schmaltz and some excitement. Waste of a very good cast. I really did want to love this film.

I will start off by saying that I really enjoyed the movie as a whole. It has some genuinely beautiful scenes, at times genuinely jaw dropping visual effects, and a stellar performance from its lead. The messages delivered here (although at times a bit sparse) are lovely, with the father's relentlessly positive outlook being a nice backdrop of support even if it isn't highlighted often enough. I absolutely loved the character designs, and there is a scene where many of them are introduced all at once that I thought excellently captured the whimsy and rapidly malleable nature of a child's imagination.

That all said, the film needed a much stronger hand in either the script writing, overall direction, or both. It meanders almost aimlessly at times, and several times whiplashes back and forth from imaginative frolicking to tear jerking sadness at such a breakneck pace that it honestly felt as if several transition scenes had been cut from the film after shooting. It frequently felt disjointed, and I wish they would have spent more time on the side characters to more fully flesh out the story.

I can't help but compare the movie to other films, in particular Bridge to Terabithia and A Monster Calls, both of which tackle similar issues while proving more substantive and fully fleshed out. Be warned though, the movie does an excellent job of pulling at your heart strings in the same way these aforementioned films do, and you will find yourself crying several times if you're anything like me. I definitely recommend seeing it, even if it doesn't quiet live up to its potential.

I love seeing John Krasinski continue as a director with a project that is so different from A Quiet Place. This film has a cool and unique premise and he really captures the awe and wonder that a child feels. I love how creative and original his movies are. The movie has tons of heart to it and it's just a fun time. The script is pretty predictable and some of the emotional moments don't quite as hard as they probably should have. However I think this film is still enjoyable because it really highlights what a great visual storyteller Krasinski is. The opening montage, the scene on the boardwalk, and all the stuff with the imaginary friends connecting with their old kids works really well with very little dialogue in those scenes. The visual effects are pretty awesome and the imaginary friends look incredible. The music is great and there's some striking cinematography. Overall Krasinski did a good job bringing this cool world and concept to life and the only part that needed some work was the script.

I'm offering a huge standing ovation to John Krasinski and the entire cast of IF! This movie is magical, heartfelt, beautiful, and the kind of film that will stick with you forever. The casting is perfect.

I am a 48 year old mother of two, and all three of us left the theater with a sense of awe and wonder. I am also a mental health therapist, and I can clearly see how this movie can Serve as a highly effective tool for use in groups, as well as individual therapy. This is the type of material that illicit emotional responses that can set the stage for highly effective individual and group process. It is one that I will be incorporating in my own professional practice, and I encourage other therapists to do the same

For the teachers, this film would be a wonderful addition to social emotional learning programs. The message of the magic of childhood, resiliency, and community is undeniably effective.

I cannot wait for this movie to be released for purchase because I will be buying it on day one and re-watching this over and over again. I will confidently go so far as to say that this movie is the Mary Poppins of the day.

I just rented this movie and I gotta say, I wasn't really that impressed with it. I saw the "twist" coming a mile away. I felt the story was poignant because I lost a parent when I was only 12 years old, but the execution of it was, well, just a little bit too sappy overall. I loved a few of the set designs like the IF's apartment which was decorated with very cozy furnishings and the scene when Bea's imagination takes over at the IF's Retirement Community. It also felt like John Krasinki was REALLY trying to convey a powerful, positive, albeit VERY PREACHY message of "don't ever lose your inner child". I agree with that. I just don't feel like I want that sentiment shoved down my throat.

C+

Whilst "IF" is not perhaps the worst film I've seen at the cinema this year, it's certainly the one I disliked the most. It's going to take some explaining, about both myself and the movie to get to why, but first, obligatory plot summary.

Already shaken by the death of her mother, Bea (Cailey Fleming) stays with her Grandmother Margaret (Fiona Shaw) whilst her father (John Krasinski) undergoes an operation, the seriousness of which he's downplaying. Bea sees a strange creature one night and follows to the upper floor of her grandmother's apartment building. The creature is Blue (Steve Carell), a purple monster and Cal (Ryan Reynolds) eventually explains that Blue is an imaginary friend whose child has grown up and forgotten him. Cal is trying to find Blue, and other forgotten Ifs, new children and Bea agrees to help.

OK. I'm a middle-aged guy now and I'm beyond the need to be "cool". I don't need everything to be dark and edgy to enjoy it and I've come to learn that crying at the cinema can be a great, cathartic, release. This is to say that my issues with "IF" were not that it was maudlin or sentimental - it's that it doesn't earn its emotional moments by hanging them on a compelling story. It is, truth be told, a bit of a confused mess, the "rules" of which are never made clear. For example, Bea, Cal and Lewis - voiced by Louis Gossett Jr - interview the imaginary friends to try and best pair them up with a potential kid, but none of this matters as, apparently, kids can either see an imaginary friend, or they can't, so why bother with them in the first place. You bother, because it gives a chance for all of Krasinski and Reynolds friends to appear in the movie as a voice for a little while.

There are positive elements in that the CGI and its interaction with the real world is quite well done and "The Walking Dead's" Cailey Fleming gives a really good performance in the main role. But it's not very funny, and tonally is much different than the trailer presents as that seems to focus exclusively on the broader comedic moments. I can't imagine what it would be like to bring younger children to this expecting something comparable to "Kung Fu Panda 4".

Those small positives do exist and that's why I'm drawing the distinction between "worst film" and "film I disliked the most".

After the 1st viewing, I was delightfully surprised at how strong the story is, since what I expected from the trailer was a fun and colorful children's adventure film. But I was deeply touched by the characters and couldn't stop pondering the plot.

Then after the 2nd viewing, I discovered the complex psychology of the story. I saw many little clues that I missed the first time and they led to a new interpretation of everything, which gave me many Wow and Aha moments. Also knowing the twist gave me totally new emotional experience watching the characters' reactions in different scenes.

My kids as well as I have thoroughly enjoyed the humor, the creativity, and the wonderful visual. For kids it's a perfect imaginative story with a huge twist and a happy ending. For adults, it possesses layers exploring the psychology of the character and it's a bitter-sweet, yet very satisfying emotional journey.

It's an entirely original story, which is rare and precious among big-budget films with an all-star cast.

The last thing I want to add from my perspective as an artist is that the character design and animation is top-notch. It's not the established Pixar style, but feels very original while fitting the narrative perfectly.

What happens to your imaginary friend when you grow up and forget them?

That's the question 'IF' poses to us, and tries to debunk the mystery.

It's also a film that's trying very very hard to be liked and to be a modern classic that can live on forever. So it throws everything at the screen in order to attempt to achieve this.

There's elements of 'Toy Story' here, there's 'Inside Out', but because of this the plot seems to be being pulled in lots of directions in a relatively short run time.

A little girl getting over her mum's death with the help of a mysterious neighbour would have been enough. Or a girl trying to help reunite imaginary friends with their former children. Instead we get a bit too much all in one go.

This is though a nice piece of family entertainment, I do recommend it, but it is just trying to do too much for its own good.

Pros:

• A stellar cast with some good performances by both adults and children. Along with a legendary voice cast that will have you checking the credits at the end of the movie.

• Some good moments of fun that are mixed in with some heartfelt moments that will bring back your childhood.

Cons:

• The plot is very over complicated (especially for a family movie) that will have both parents and kids scratching their heads at times.

• Besides a few scenes, the film lacks a lot of imagination and creativity which contradicts the film's message.

• The special effects used on the IFs comes off as flat instead of popping off the screen.

I was really excited for IF from previews. Good cast and a ton of potential to be a legendary kids movie. I think where this movie struggles is that it can't figure out if it's supposed to be a kids movie or an after school special about dealing with trauma and grief.

Another area that was annoying was in casting. Ryan Reynolds and Steve Carell are just really unable to be anything else in a movie. The same snark (no swearing) from Reynolds. Dude really just needs to stay in the Deadpool lane. Carell essentially was a big, purple, fluffy Gru.

The first 45 minutes were really rough. I'm not sure I heard a kid in my theater laugh until about 35 minutes in. Then it found a kids movie footing and I thought it might end strong. It almost stuck the landing, but then it just wanted to dive back into after school special territory.

I didn't hate it. It just isn't really the kind of movie that it's billed as.