The Stream: Some details of the story are unclear and confusing.

The Big Screen: It tugs at the heartstrings at just the right moments.

The Final Bill: A nice family movie that has funny moments for the kids and emotional moments for the adults.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: John Krasinski
Writers: John Krasinski
Stars: John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Shaw, Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr.
Genre: Family, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Rating: PG for thematic elements and mild language
Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes
Production Companies: Paramount Pictures, Maximum Effort, Platinum Dunes, Sunday Night
Platform: In theaters May 17, 2024
Notable Trailers: Inside Out 2, Wicked, Borderlands, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Despicable Me 4

Hey, Streamers! There are a few family friendly movies in theaters, right now. IF is one that blends the animated world with the live-action world to tell a story aimed directly at your heart. In IF, we follow Bea (Cailey Fleming), a 12-year-old, who has moved in with her grandmother while her father (John Krasinki) is in the hospital awaiting a heart procedure. In her grandmother’s apartment building, Bea encounters a strange creature, Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), who turns out to be an IF (imaginary friend), and Calvin (Ryan Reynolds), a person who is trying to help Blossom and other imaginary friends connect with new children since their original children have forgotten them. Bea decides that she can help and set out across New York City to help the displaced IFs find new children. Big purple monster, tearjerking hijinks ensue.

There are a lot of nice things about IF. It is an unabashedly sweet and sentimental movie aimed at families, but it especially will speak to the child in all our hearts. Also, this is a good father-daughter movie though the father and daughter in this movie spend a lot of time apart. The movie does a good job of tugging at your heartstrings and attempting to bring you to tears. The premise of a girl who is struggling to be mature while her father has a health crisis lends itself to emotional moments. The IFs that pop up throughout are earnest and likeable and help enhance the overall story about imagination and maturity. Other elements of the film work as well. For instance, the score may remind you of great Spielberg movies or your favorite Pixar film. In fact, the main IF, Blue, voiced by Steve Carell, owes its whole character to Sully from Monsters, Inc. The animation is integrated well into the live-action parts and it all comes together nicely.

On the other hand, the details of the story are pretty murky. It isn’t clear why the father really is in the hospital. It isn’t clear how Bea gets around the city and why her grandmother isn’t keeping a better eye on the child. Who can see what and why doesn’t make a lot of sense either. Also, while it is nice to see a star-studded voice cast, it is completely unnecessary. The voices go by pretty quickly and it is hard to distinguish one from another usually. The best addition to the voice cast is the late, great Louis Gossett, Jr. as Lewis, an elderly teddy bear who runs the IF retirement home. He has the best scene in the entire movie – bring tissues. I’ll also note that Cailey Fleming and Ryan Reynolds are a strong duo, who do a great job anchoring this movie. Fleming is a good actress for someone so young and Reynolds brings that aloof charm that makes him so fun to watch.

Ultimately, IF is a sweet family film that captures the imagination and tugs at your heartstrings. Although the details of the world aren’t always clear, the emotional elements are consistent throughout. The visual effects and animation are integrated into the real world effectively. While the expansive voice cast is unnecessary, the central Reynolds and Fleming duo holds the whole thing together. You could do a lot worse for a weekend matinee, so grab a bowl of popcorn and take your favorite child to the theater.